UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Class 


.•**- 


SALONS  COLONIAL 
&    REPUBLICAN 


„*•< 


SALONS 

COLONIAL  AND 
REPUBLICAN 

BY 

ANNE     ROLLINGS  WORTH 
WHARTON 

WITH  NUMEROUS  REPRODUCTIONS  OF 
PORTRAITS  AND  MINIATURES  OF  MEN 
AND  WOMEN  PROMINENT  IN  COLONIAL 
LIFE  AND  IN  THE  EARLY  DAYS  OF  THE 
REPUBLIC 


II 


PHILADELPHIA  &  LONDON 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

i  9  o  o 


Copyright,  1900,  by 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY. 


PREFACE 


THE    interest    felt    in    Colonial    life    in 
America  has  become  deep  and  wide 
spread,    nor    does    it    show    signs    of 
abatement.      Indeed,    the     subject    is    almost 
inexhaustible,  if  we    include   under    the    term 
"  Colonial "  the  settlements  along  the  northern 
borders  of  the   United   States  and  the  no  less 
picturesque  Spanish  mission-life  of  the  Pacific 
slope. 

To  treat  in  this  volume  of  some  phases  of 
American  life  of  a  later  date  has  been  sug 
gested  to  the  writer  by  two  or  three  incidents. 
"While  in  Washington  last  spring,  she  had 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  several  persons  who 
distinctly  remembered  Mrs.  Madison — the  de 
lightful  "  Dolly " — as  she  appeared  in  later 
years  at  a  reception  given  by  Mr.  Webster  in 
the  house  afterwards  owned  by  Mr.  Corcoran. 
Again,  while  standing  before  a  picture  of 
Stenton,  which  hangs  upon  the  walls  of  the 
Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  a  lady 
entered  the  hall  who  recalled  Mrs.  Deborah 
Logan  as  she  presided  over  her  tea-table  at 
Stenton,  reviving  pleasant  impressions  of  the 
delectable  crispness  of  the  short-cakes  which 


217016 


PREFACE 

the  Quaker  lady  handed  to  her  guests  with  a 
cup  of  tea,  in  her  drawing-room,  long  before 
the  fashion  of  afternoon  tea  prevailed  in 
America.  Another  person,  who  "was  known 
to  the  writer  in  her  childhood,  delighted  to 
relate  to  her  grand-nieces  a  pleasing  tale  of 
being  taken  by  her  mother  to  one  of  the 
windows  of  their  home,  which  overlooked 
the  State  House  in  Philadelphia,  and  there 
being  told  to  stand  upon  a  chair  and  look  at 
the  tall  gentleman  who  was  entering  the  build 
ing  opposite,  as  she  might  never  again  see  so 
great  a  man.  The  tall  gentleman  was  His 
Excellency  President  Washington,  who  for 
nearly  seven  years,  while  the  new  capital  on 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac  was  in  course  of 
erection,  walked  from  his  house  on  High  Street 
to  the  State  House  and  Congress  Hall,  and  in 
and  out  among  these  buildings.  These  hu 
man  links  with  a  storied  past  lend  a  vividness 
and  reality  to  the  life  of  an  earlier  day  that 
written  history  fails  to  supply.  It  was  with 
an  idea  of  giving  some  of  the  recollections 
of  those  who  could  still  recall  incidents  and 
persons  in  the  early  years  of  the  fast  fading 
century,  that  to  the  Colonial  chapter  of  this 
book,  and  to  those  upon  life  in  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  soon  after  the  Revolution,  there 
have  been  added  chapters  upon  the  Federal 
City  during  the  administrations  of  Adams, 
Jefferson,  and  Madison,  and  upon  Philadelphia 
life  during  the  brilliant  social  reign  of  Mrs. 
James  Rush. 

vi 


PREFACE 

The  word  "salon"  has  been  used  to  des 
ignate  the  Republican  drawing-rooms  here 
described,  because  no  other  term  so  fitly  repre 
sents  social  circles  presided  over  by  cultivated 
women  as  that  which  was  first  applied  to 
the  brilliant  coteries  gathered  together  by  the 
famous  French  women  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  who  knew  so  well  how  to  combine 
intellectual  ability  with  womanly  grace  and 
charm. 

A.  H.  W. 

Birdwood,  York  Road, 

Philadelphia,  November,  1899. 


vii 


CONTENTS 
€ 

CHAPTER   I  Page 

A  Colonial  Salon .      n 

CHAPTER   II 

Republican  Drawing-Rooms    ....      35 

CHAPTER  III 

Life  in  the  Quaker  Capital 7° 

CHAPTER  IV 

Salons  Gay  and  Grave 118 

i 

CHAPTER  V 

Life  in  the  Federal  City 172 

CHAPTER  VI 

An  Early  Art  Centre 210 

CHAPTER  VII 

Mrs.  Rush  and  Her  Salon 235 

ix 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

MRS.  CHARLES  AUGUSTUS  MURRAY  (Miss  Elizabeth 
Wadsworth).  From  portrait  by  Thomas  Sully,  in  posses 
sion  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oliver  Hopkinson,  of  Philadelphia. 
This  panel  portrait  bears  on  the  reverse  the  monogram 
"T.  S." Frontispiece 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  RHETT,  of  Charleston,  South  Caro 
lina.  Miniature  in  possession  of  Mrs.  Nephew  'West  ....  18 

MRS.  CHARLES  WILLING  (Anne  Shippen).  From  original 
portrait  by  Robert  Feke,  in  possession  of  her  great-grand 
son,  Mr.  Edward  Willing,  of  Philadelphia.  Dark  hair  and 
eyes,  florid  complexion  ;  gown  of  olive  and  black  brocade  .  .  25 

MRS.  ADAMS  (Sarah  Eve).  From  original  miniature  by  Charles 
B.  J.  F.  de  Saint  Memin,  owned  by  her  niece,  Mrs.  Anna  L. 
Eve  Stevenson 33 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  BRADFORD,  born  January  19,  1721 ; 
died  September  15,  1791.  Miniature  owned  by  great-great- 
great-grandson,  Willing  Spencer,  of  Philadelphia 33 

LADY  CATHERINE  DUER  (Catherine  Alexander).  From 
original  miniature,  owned  by  Mr.  William  Alexander  Duer, 
of  New  York 40 

WILLIAM  KING,  first  Governor  of  Maine.  From  original 

miniature  in  possession  of  Mr.  Edward  King,  of  New  York  .  40 

COLONEL  JEREMIAH  WADSWORTH.  From  original 
crayon  by  James  Sharpies,  owned  by  Mr.  Charles  A.  Brin- 
ley,  of  Philadelphia.  The  complexion  delicate  and  fine  ;  the 
coat  a  dark  blue 49 

LADY  TEMPLE  (Elizabeth  Bowdoin).  Portrait  by  John 
Singleton  Copley,  painted  about  the  time  of  her  marriage  to 
Mr.  Temple,  afterwards  Sir  John  Temple,  owned  by  Mrs. 
Winthrop  Tappan 52 

M.  PIERRE  HENRI,  of  Paris.  Miniature  painted  by  himself, 
owned  by  his  granddaughter,  Mrs  Edward  Y.  Townsend,  of 
Philadelphia 62 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

MRS.  CHAUNCEY  GOODRICH  (Marianne  Wolcott).  From 
miniature  by  a  Swedish  artist,  owed  by  Mrs,  Charles  A. 
Brinley,  of  Philadelphia.  Brilliant  complexion,  brown  hair, 
through  which  a  blue  ribbon  is  tied  ;  blue  gown  of  the  same 
shade  as  the  ribbon 62 

HENRY  PRATT.  Original  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  owned 
by  Mrs.  Joshua  Lippincott,  of  Philadelphia.  Dark  eyes, 
florid  complexion  ;  powdered  wig,  red  waistcoat ;  red  curtain 
in  the  background 72 

MRS.  HENRY  NIXON  and  MRS.  JAMES  MARSHALL,  the 
daughters  of  Robert  Morris.  Portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart. 
Mr.  Morris  had  ordered  the  picture  and  paid  sixty  guineas 
for  it ;  but  when  he  ventured  to  make  some  criticism,  Stuart 
was  so  angry  that  he  cut  the  canvas  and  had  the  picture 
stowed  away  in  his  own  garret.  Mr.  James  Marshall  after 
wards  bought  the  picture,  at  the  original  price,  from  Stuart 
or  his  daughter.  It  has  been  carefully  restored  and  is  now 
owned  by  the  granddaughters  of  Mr.  Marshall,  the  Misses 
Marshall  of  Happy  Creek,  "Warren  County,  Virginia  ....  97 

COLONEL  JOHN  COX,  of  Bloomsbury,  New  Jersey.  Minia 
ture  owned  by  great-granddaughter,  Miss  Mary  Clapier  Coxe, 
of  Philadelphia 108 

MAJOR-GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE.  From  miniature 
by  John  Ramage,  in  possession  of  his  great-grandson,  Major 
William  Wayne,  of  Paoli,  Pennsylvania 108 

JUDGE  WILLIAM  BARTON.  Portrait  by  Charles  Willson 
Peale,  owned  by  Dr.  William  Barton  Hopkins,  of  Philadel 
phia  «o 

MRS.  WILLIAM  BARTON  (Elizabeth  Rhea).  Portrait  of  Mrs. 
Barton  with  her  little  daughter  Betsy  in  her  arms.  Light 
brown  hair  ;  dark  background,  the  gown  of  rich  brocade  or 
velvet  of  a  delicate  old-rose  shade 112 

THE  HONORABLE  SAMUEL  BRECK.  From  original  por 
trait  painted  in  France  by  Loubet,  in  possession  of  grand- 
nephew,  Mr.  Charles  du  Pont  Breck,  of  Scranton,  Pennsyl 
vania.  Blue  eyes  and  fair  complexion.  Mr.  Breck  is  in  court 
costume,  with  powdered  hair  ;  his  coat  is  of  golden  brown 
with  large  white  buttons  ;  lace  ruffles,  white  stock xa8 

MR.  and  MRS.  HENRY  PHILIPS.  Copied  from  miniatures  by 
Richard  Cosway,  owned  by  great-grandson,  Colonel  James 
Eglinton  Montgomery,  of  Philadelphia.  Both  of  these  min 
iatures  are  very  beautiful  in  composition  and  color,  with  the 
background  of  blue  sky  and  light  clouds  beloved  by  Cosway.  139 

xii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

MRS.  WILLIAM  BINGHAM  (Anne  Willing).     From  portrait 

by  Stuart,  owned  by  Countess  Jacques  de  Bryas,  of  Paris  .  .     141 

MRS.  WILLIAM  BYRD,  of  Westover  (Mary  Willing),  and 
daughter.  From  portrait  by  Cosmo  Alexander,  in  possession 
of  Mr.  Edward  Willing,  of  Philadelphia.  Black  hair,  brown 
eyes,  fair  complexion  ;  white  satin  gown,  the  sleeves  slashed 
with  delicate  pink  satin. 

The  child  has  brown  eyes  and  fair  hair,  and  wears  a  blue 
dress,  with  flowers  and  a  blue  cockade  in  the  hair 145 

MRS.  JOHN  REDMAN  COXE  (Sarah  Cox).  Portrait  by 
Thomas  Sully,  owned  by  Mrs.  Edward  Parke  Custis  Lewis, 
of  Hoboken,  New  Jersey 168 

MRS.  THOMAS  LAW  (Eliza  Parke  Custis).  Portrait  by  Gil 
bert  Stuart,  owned  by  Mrs.  George  Goldsborough,  of  Balti 
more,  granddaughter.  This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
Stuart's  portraits  of  women,  the  flesh  tints  are  fine,  and  the 
modelling  of  the  face  and  arms  is  very  good 174 

MRS.  JOSEPH  HOPPER  NICHOLSON  (Rebecca  Lloyd). 
Original  miniature  by  Richard  Cosway,  owned  by  Mrs. 
Edward  Shippen,  of  Baltimore,  granddaughter 187 

CHARLES  HALL,  of  Sunbury,  Pennsylvania.  Miniature 
owned  by  the  descendants  of  Mr.  Hall.  Fair  complexion, 
blue  eyes,  light  hair,  powdered  ;  the  coat  is  of  a  delicate 
shade  of  violet  or  mauve,  and  the  white  waistcoat  is  dotted 
over  with  fleurs-de-lys  of  the  same  shade  of  violet 187 

LADY  ERSKINE  (Frances  Cadwalader).  Portrait  by  Gilbert 
Stuart,  owned  by  grand-nephew,  Dr.  Charles  E.  Cadwal 
ader,  of  Philadelphia.  Dark  hair  and  eyes,  delicate  feat 
ures  ;  simple  white  muslin  gown,  which  contrasts  well  with 
the  dark  red  background  of  the  picture.  This  portrait  was 
painted  soon  after  Mrs.  Erskine's  marriage,  when  she  was 
about  eighteen  years  of  age 195 

DR.  JOHN  BULLUS,  U.  S.  N.  Portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  in 
possession  of  granddaughters,  Miss  Bullus  and  Mrs.  Taylor, 
of  New  York 199 

MRS.  JOHN  BULLUS  (Charlotte  Jane  Rumsey).  Portrait  by 
Gilbert  Stuart,  in  possession  of  granddaughters,  Miss  Bullus 
and  Mrs,  Taylor  of  New  York 200 

MRS.  JAMES  H.  CALLANDER  (Jane  Erskine).  Portrait 
among  celebrated  beauties  in  the  King  of  Bavaria's  gallery 
at  Munich 206 

MRS.  JONATHAN  DICKINSON  SERGEANT.  From  original 
miniature,  in  possession  of  great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs. 
John  F.  Hageman,  Jr.,  of  Philadelphia 214 

xiii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

MRS.  ALEXANDER  ROBINSON  (Angelica  Peale).  From 
original  miniature  painted  by  her  father,  Charles  Willson 
Peale 214 

MRS.  BARNES  (Priscilla  Birch).  Miniature  on  enamel,  painted 
by  her  father,  William  Russell  Birch,  owned  by  Mr.  Milton 
Birch,  of  Philadelphia,  great-grandson  of  the  artist 223 

MRS.  CHARLES  IREN^E  du  PONT  (Dorcas  Montgomery 
Van  Dyke),  of  New  Castle,  Delaware.  Portrait  by  Thomas 
Sully,  owned  by  daughter,  Miss  Mary  Van  Dyke  du  Pont,  of 
Wilmington 227 

MRS.  LANGDON  CHEVES  (Mary  Elizabeth  Dulles).  Minia 
ture  by  Edward  Greene  Malbone,  in  possession  of  niece, 
Miss  Mary  C.  Dulles,  of  Philadelphia 223 

ISABEL  BARRON,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  Miniature 
painted  by  Edward  Greene  Malbone,  in  1806,  owned  by  Miss 
Augusta  Bliss,  of  New  York.  The  eyes  and  hair  brown, 
the  latter  of  a  rich  auburn  shade,  the  complexion  fair  with 
a  brilliant  bloom  on  the  cheeks  ;  the  gown  of  deep  red 
trimmed  with  black  lace 229 

MR.  and  MRS.  RICHARD  DANA,  of  Boston.  From  original 
miniatures  by  Edward  Greene  Malbone,  in  possession  of 
grandson,  General  Charles  W.  Darling,  of  Utica,  New  York. 
These  miniatures  are  beautiful  and  delicate  in  color,  espe 
cially  that  of  Mr.  Dana.  He  wears  a  blue  coat  with  fine 
lace  ruffles.  Mrs.  Dana's  gown  is  white  with  lace  around 
the  neck  and  a  waistband  of  pale  pink  ribbon 231 

MR.  and  MRS.  FRANCIS  MARTIN  DREXEL.  These  two 
miniatures  were  painted  by  Mr.  Francis  Martin  Drexel  and 
are  owned  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  John  G.  Watmough,  of 
Philadelphia 233 

"  THE  ANTWERP  STRAWBERRIES,"  Susan  and  Phoebe 
Ann  Ridgway.  Portrait  painted  at  Antwerp  in  1805,  owned 
by  Mrs.  Edward  Willing,  of  Philadelphia 237 

DR.  and  MRS.  JAMES  RUSH.  Miniatures  owned  by  the  Ridg 
way  Library  Company,  of  Philadelphia  240 

THOMAS  FISHBOURN  WHARTON.  From  crayon  portrait 
by  Vander  Lyn,  the  inscription  being  "  Done  by  Vander  Lyn, 
Paris,  Prairial,  Aug.  7,  1799."  Original  portrait  in  possession 
of  Miss  Susan  Fishbourn  Wharton 248 

MR.  JAMES  DUNDAS,  of  Philadelphia.  Original  portrait  by 
Henry  Inman,  owned  by  niece,  Mrs.  Joshua  Lippincott. 
Gray  eyes,  florid  complexion,  brown  hair 847 

xiv 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

MRS.  JAMES  DUNDAS  (Anna  Pratt).  Original  portrait  by 
Henry  Inman,  owned  by  Mrs.  Joshua  Lippincott.  Dark  blue 
eyes,  light  brown  hair,  fair  complexion  ;  gown  of  Indian  red  247 

MRS.  JOHN  JACOB  RIDGWAY  (Elizabeth  Willing).  From 

portrait  by  Alexandre  Cabanel,  of  Paris 251 

MRS.  JOHN  WILLIAM  WALLACE,  of  Philadelphia  (Dorothy 
Francis  Willing).  From  "an  original  miniature  by  George 
Freeman,  in  her  own  possession.  Delicate  complexion, 
brown  hair  ;  white  gown 254 

MRS.  JOHN  BUTLER  (Gabriella  M.  Morris),  New  York.  Por 
trait  by  George  Freeman,  in  possession  of  Miss  Adele  Biddle, 
of  Philadelphia.  Brown  eyes  and  hair,  white  gown  with 
lace  bertha 260 

MRS.  JAMES  S.  WADSWORTH  (Mary  Craig  Wharton). 
From  portrait  by  Thomas  Sully,  in  possession  of  her  son, 
Mr.  Charles  F.  Wadsworth,  of  Geneseo,  N.  Y 263 

NICHOLAS  BIDDLE,  of  Philadelphia.  Original  portrait  by 
Thomas  Sully,  owned  by  his  son,  the  Honorable  Craig 
Biddle,  of  Philadelphia 267 

MRS.  NICHOLAS  BIDDLE  (Jane  M.  Craig).  Original  portrait 
by  Thomas  Sully,  owned  by  her  son,  the  Honorable  Craig 
Biddle.  Eyes  and  hair  dark,  complexion  florid  ;  large  hat 
with  gray  feathers,  gown  of  salmon-colored  silk,  mantle  of 
pinkish  gray  silk  ;  background  sky  effect  with  clear  blue  .  .  269 


SALONS 

COLONIAL    AND    REPUBLICAN 


CHAPTER  I.  A  COLONIAL  SALON 

FOR  some  cause  unknown  to  the  mind 
of  man,  but  better  understood  by  those 
feminine  processes  that  are  said  to  take 
the  place  of  the  reasoning  faculty  in  the  other 
sex,  it  has  always  been  the  ambition  and  de 
light  of  a  certain  class  of  superior  women  to 
rule  and  shine  in  a  social  atmosphere  some* 
what  different  from  that  of  the  conventional 
ball  and  dinner. 

In  France  this  taste  early  found  expression 
in  the  salon.  At  the  Hotel  de  Rambouillet,  la 
belle  Arthenice  and  her  daughter  Julie  gathered 
around  them  the  gay  and  the  wise  of  Paris, 
proving,  in  that  pleasure-loving  age  and  city, 
that  even  the  frivolous  could  at  times  yield 
gracefully  to  the  claims  of  learning  and  elo 
quence. 

Here,  at  the  bidding  of  the  hostess,  whose 
mandates  none  might  disobey,  Corneille  and 
Moliere  read  their  dramas,  Voiture  and  Chape- 
lain  recited  their  poems,  or  the  ardent,  inspired 
Bossuet  preached  a  sermon  to  the  gayest 
and  the  most  critical  hearers  in  Europe. 

iz 


SALONS      COLONIAL      &     REPUBLICAN 

Among  the  guests  of  Madame  de  Rambouillet, 
listening,  and  taking  notes  for  her  beloved 
daughter  in  the  provinces  that  were  destined 
to  be  read  with  delight  by  future  generations, 
is  Madame  de  Sevigne,  and  by  her  side  the 
beautiful  and  witty  Anne  Genevieve  de  Bour 
bon,  Duchesse  de  Longueville,  who  conceals 
a  yawn  behind  her  fan  and  whispers  to  her 
neighbor  that  "Chapelain's  * Puccttc'  is  doubt 
less  a  very  beautiful  poem,  but  also  very 
tiresome,"  or  admits  that  the  productions  of 
the  great  Conde,  who  sometimes  courted  the 
Muses,  were  "bad  for  a  poet,  but  fairly  good 
for  a  warrior." 

The  London  salon  of  a  later  date,  which 
was  an  adaptation  from  the  French,  always 
possessed  certain  Anglo-Saxon  characteristics, 
and  if  less  graceful,  charming,  and  epigram 
matic  than  that  of  Paris,  was  marked  by 
deeper  thought  and  perhaps  by  greater  sincer 
ity.  Mrs.  Montague,  and  other  members  of 
the  Blue  Stocking  Club,  held  salons  that  were 
deemed  not  unworthy  of  the  presence  and 
conversation  of  Dr.  Johnson  and  his  literary 
confreres.  These  reunions  of  the  literati  of 
London  were  largely  dominated  by  the  auto 
cratic  lexicographer,  whose  gentle  hostesses 
were  ever  ready  to  welcome  him  warmly  and 
give  him  a  comfortable  place  by  the  fire,  in 
which  to  imbibe  his  innumerable  cups  of  tea 
and  to  utter  for  the  edification  of  the  company 
his  dogmatic,  racy  strictures  upon  the  world 
and  the  inhabitants  thereof. 

12 


SALONS     COLONIAL      &     REPUBLICAN 

Although  no  salon  could  have  been  held  in 
the  New  World  that  in  any  degree  approached 
these  brilliant  circles  in  Paris  and  London, 
there  were  not  a  few  clever  women  in  Colonial 
life,  lovers  of  good  literature  and,  especially 
in  the  Northern  and  Middle  Colonies,  women 
who  wielded  ready  pens,  like  Mrs.  Simon 
Bradstreet,  Mrs.  James  Warren,  Mrs.  John 
Adams,  Mrs.  Richard  Stockton,  and  Elizabeth 
Graeme.  It  is  not  strange  that  the  idea  of  a 
salon,  of  drawing  together  men  and  women 
of  learning  and  conversational  powers,  should 
have  suggested  itself  to  the  active  and  intelli 
gent  mind  of  Elizabeth  Graeme,  and  that  she 
should  have  gathered  around  her  a  circle  of 
choice  spirits  at  her  father's  home  in  Philadel 
phia  and  at  his  country-seat,  Graeme  Park,  in 
Montgomery  County. 

Elizabeth  Graeme,  better  known  as  Mrs. 
Hugh  Ferguson,*  was  during  the  latter  half 
of  the  last  century  easily  the  most  learned 
woman  in  America.  A  chronicler  of  the  pe 
riod  says :  "  A  mind  like  hers,  imbued  with 


•Although  a  fac-simile  of  the  signature  of  Elizabeth 
Ferguson  shows  that  she  wrote  her  name  Fergusson,  the 
above  spelling  is  used  by  contemporary  historians.  Mrs. 
Ferguson  is  the  "Cat  Ferguson"  at  whose  expense  Dr. 
Mitchell's  "Aunt  Gainor "  so  frequently  sharpened  her 
wits.  It  is  only  fair  to  say  that  the  author  of  "  Hugh 
Wynne  "  has  availed  himself  of  a  novelist's  privilege  and 
drawn  a  fanciful  character,  as  Mrs.  Ferguson  was  a 
woman  of  lovable  and  gentle  nature,  despite  her  keen  wit 
and  marked  personality. 

13 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

elegant  literature,  and  herself  a  poetess,  readily 
formed  frequent  literary  coteries  at  her  father's 
mansion  ;  so  much  so,  as  to  make  it  the  town- 
talk  of  her  day." 

Dr.  Thomas  Graeme  was  a  leading  physi 
cian  and  a  man  who  held  important  positions 
in  the  government,  while  his  wife,  a  step 
daughter  of  Sir  William  Keith,  Governor  of 
Pennsylvania,  had  been  reared  in  such  luxury 
and  refinement  as  the  English  life  of  her  day 
afforded.  A  woman  "  possessed  of  a  masculine 
mind,  with  all  the  female  charms  and  accom 
plishments  which  render  a  woman  agreeable 
to  both  sexes,"  Mrs.  Thomas  Graeme  was 
described  by  an  acute  and  discriminating  ob 
server  of  the  time,  to  which  it  may  be  added, 
upon  the  authority  of  another  writer,  that  she 
was  deeply  religious  and  devoted  to  all  that 
was  best  in  life  and  character.  Young  Francis 
Hopkinson,  while  upon  a  visit  to  Graeme  Park, 
dedicated  one  of  his  earliest  poetic  efforts  to 
a  description  of  this  lady's  lovely  and  noble 
qualities.  It  is  not,  however,  as  an  austere 
saint  that  Mrs,  Graeme  appears  upon  the  pages 
of  Colonial  history.  From  her  own  letters, 
and  from  the  descriptions  of  contemporaries, 
she  seems  to  have  been  a  warm-hearted,  affec 
tionate  woman,  loving  her  kind,  and  possessing 
the  power,  which  her  daughter  inherited  from 
her,  of  gathering  around  her  certain  choice 
spirits  whom  she  elected  as  her  associates. 

In  speaking  of  the  Graemes  and  their  country 
home  in  Montgomery  County,  Dr.  Benjamin 

14 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Rush  said  :  "  This  retreat  "was,  moreover,  con 
secrated  to  society  and  friendship.  A  plentiful 
table  "was  spread  daily  for  visitors,  and  two 
or  three  ladies  from  Philadelphia  generally 
partook  with  Miss  Graeme  of  the  enjoyments 
which  her  situation  in  the  country  afforded." 
Mrs.  Graeme,  like  her  daughter,  possessed 
a  certain  facility  for  verse-making,  although 
she  lacked  the  delicate  fancy  and  nimble  wit 
that  characterize  some  of  Elizabeth  Graeme's 
writings,  perhaps  because  the  older  woman's 
Muse  was  of  a  chastened  and  religious  nature. 
Religion  was  then  considered  the  only  proper 
sphere  for  women  in  literature,  no  matter 
what  frivolous  or  even  naughty  verses  the 
Dean  of  St.  Patrick's  or  Mr.  Pope  might  be 
writing  at  the  same  time  in  England. 

Although  Mr.  Joshua  Francis  Fisher  wrote 
of  Elizabeth  Graeme's  poems  that  "  she  can 
not  be  said  to  be  a  favorite  of  the  Muses, 
and  her  lines  are  not  perfumed  with  that  *  fra 
grant  nectar'  which  those  divinities  are  said 
to  sprinkle  over  the  verses  of  their  friends," 
some  of  these  lines  possess  a  grace  and  charm 
found  in  few  women's  poems  of  the  period.  To 
the  small  circle  of  her  own  city,  Miss  Graeme 
was  known  through  her  contributions  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Packet  and  the  Columbia  Magazine. 
Her  most  extensive  work  was  the  translating 
of  Fenelon's  Aventures  de  Tele'maque  into  Eng 
lish  verse,  which  was  undertaken  when  the 
translator  was  about  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  This  translation  of  Tele'maque  was  never 

IS 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

published,  but  the  manuscript,  carefully  pre 
served,  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Philadelphia 
Library  Company,  a  lasting  memorial  to  the 
industry  and  intelligence  of  this  remarkable 
young  woman.  Instead  of  the  classic  French 
of  the  Abbe,  "  Calypso  ne  pouvait  se  consoler  du 
depart  d' Ulysse"  with  its  picture  of  the  dis 
tracted  Goddess  roaming  the  shores  of  her 
island  home  in  the  hope  of  the  return  of  the 
beloved  wanderer,  we  read  in  Miss  Graeme's 
manuscript  volumes  the  following  lines  : 

"  No  dawn  of  comfort  could  Calypso  find, 
No  balm  to  soften  her  distracted  mind  ; 
Eternal  hope  her  tortured  bosom  pain'd, 
And  immortality  her  anguish  chain'd. 
A  length  of  years  appeared  a  train  of  woe ; 
A  dreadful  channel  for  her  griefs  to  flow. 
Ulysses  gone,  no  place  affords  delight, 
The  absent  Hero  haunts  her  anxious  Sight : 
Her  voice  Mellifluous  echo'd  not  around, 
No  floating  air  returned  the  silver  sound." 

"Whatever  may  be  the  faults  of  Miss  Graeme's 
translation  of  Tttemaque,  it  must  be  admit 
ted  that  there  were  few  women  in  America, 
or  even  in  England,  who  would  have  at 
tempted  such  a  work,  or  who,  having  under 
taken  it,  could  have  succeeded  half  as  well.  In 
1764,  when  about  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
it  was  Miss  Graeme's  good  fortune  to  spend 
a  year  in  England  under  the  care  of  the  Rev. 
Richard  Peters,  rector  of  the  united  parishes 
of  Christ  Church  and  St.  Peter's.  In  speaking 
of  the  advantages  which  the  American  girl 

16 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

enjoyed  during  her  sojourn  in  the  Old  World, 
Dr.  Rush  wrote :  "  She  was  accompanied  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Richard  Peters,  of  Philadelphia, 
a  gentleman  of  highly  polished  manners,  and 
whose  rank  enabled  him  to  introduce  her  to 
the  most  respectable  circles  of  company.  She 
sought,  and  was  sought  for  by,  the  most  cele 
brated  literary  gentlemen  who  flourished  in 
England  at  the  time  of  the  accession  of  George 
the  Third  to  the  throne.  She  was  introduced 
to  this  monarch,  and  particularly  noticed  by 
him.  The  celebrated  Dr.  Fothergill,  whom 
she  consulted  as  a  physician,  became  her 
friend  and  correspondent  as  long  as  she  lived." 

While  abroad,  Miss  Graeme  visited  Scot 
land,  where  she  was  warmly  welcomed  by 
her  father's  relatives.  Dr.  Graeme's  nephew, 
Thomas  Graeme,  of  Balgowan,  gave  his  young 
American  cousin  the  family  coat-of-arms,  and 
with  it  his  own  book-plate.  This  book-plate 
is  to  be  found  in  some  of  Elizabeth  Graeme's 
books,  and  is  probably  the  first  book-plate 
used  by  a  woman  in  America. 

In  London  Miss  Graeme  numbered  among 
her  friends  the  Honorable  Thomas  Penn  and 
his  wife,  Lady  Juliana  Penn,  both  of  whom 
had  shown  their  interest  in  the  advancement 
of  learning  in  Pennsylvania  by  sending  gifts 
to  a  circulating  library  at  Lancaster.*  The 

*  From  the  records  of  this  circulating  library  at  Lancas 
ter,  established  in  1759,  to  which  Governor  Hamilton,  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Barton,  Edward  Shippen,  and  Judge  William 
Henry  gave  generously  of  their  means,  it  appears  that 

2  17 


SALONS  COLONIAL  &  REPUBLICAN 

introductions  which  Miss  Graeme  enjoyed 
through  her  friendship  with  the  Penns,  Sir 
John  Fothergill,  and  the  Rev.  Richard  Peters 
gave  her  an  entree  to  many  interesting  circles 
abroad.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  her  diary, 
written  for  the  entertainment  of  her  parents 
and  friends  at  home,  has  not  been  preserved. 
Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  in  speaking  of  this  record, 
which  it  had  been  his  privilege  to  read,  said 
that  it  contained  life-like  and  spirited  pictures 
of  personages  and  places,  such  as  could  only 
emanate  from  the  mind  and  the  pen  of  an  in 
telligent  and  impressionable  traveller.  Por 
traits  of  some  members  of  the  famous  "  Blue 
Stocking  Club  "  were  doubtless  sketched  upon 
the  pages  of  this  diary,  which  was  so  eagerly 
looked  for  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Graeme  in  their 
Philadelphia  home.  Dr.  Johnson  himself  may 
have  been  described  by  the  young  American, 
and  Sir  Joshua  and  Garrick  and  the  great 
Burke,  then  a  young  man.  A  spirited  account 
of  Elizabeth  Graeme's  meeting  with  Laurence 
Sterne  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  pen  of 
Dr.  Rush,  who  said :  "  An  accident  attached 


Thomas  Penn  and  his  wife,  Lady  Juliana,  daughter  of  the 
Earl  of  Fermor,  made  a  donation  of  books,  globes,  and  as 
tronomical  apparatus.  In  testimony  of  the  gratitude  of 
the  founders  to  this  patroness  the  association  was  named 
The  Juliana  Library  Company  in  Lancaster,  and  to  further 
signify  the  honor  in  which  this  early  patroness  was  held, 
the  quaint  seal  of  the  company  bears  the  figure  of  Minerva 
leading  an  illiterate  person  with  one  hand,  while  with  the 
other  she  points  to  a  shelf  of  books  and  a  pair  of  globes. 

18 


Colonel  William  Rhett 
Page  229 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  sentimental  and  then  popular  author  of 
«  Tristram  Shandy  '  to  her.  She  took  a  seat  on 
the  same  stage  with  him  at  the  York  races. 
While  bets  were  making  on  different  horses, 
she  selected  a  small  horse  that  was  in  the 
rear  of  the  coursers  as  the  subject  of  a  trifling 
wager.  Upon  being  asked  the  reason  for  do 
ing  so,  she  said  that  the  « race  was  not  always 
to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong.' 
Mr.  Sterne,  who  stood  near  to  her,  was  struck 
with  this  reply,  and  turning  hastily  towards 
her,  begged  for  the  honor  of  her  acquaint 
ance.  They  soon  became  sociable,  and  a 
great  deal  of  pleasant  conversation  took  place 
between  them,  to  the  great  entertainment  of 
the  surrounding  company." 

Although  we  have  not  the  advantage  of 
reading  the  notes  taken  by  Miss  Graeme 
abroad,  it  is  quite  evident  that  the  literary 
gatherings  to  which  she  was  introduced  in 
London  made  a  deep  impression  upon  her 
mind,  for  soon  after  her  return  we  find  her 
presiding  over  a  smaller  circle  in  her  own  city 
modelled  after  the  English  fashion.  This  was 
after  the  death  of  Mrs.  Graeme,  when  Dr. 
Graeme  and  his  daughter  were  living  in  a  large 
house  on  the  north  side  of  Chestnut  Street 
above  Sixth,  which  had  been  built  by  Joshua 
Carpenter  for  a  country  residence.  This  house, 
with  its  large  garden  reaching  from  Sixth  to 
Seventh  and  from  Chestnut  to  High  Street, 
was  the  home  of  Governor  Thomas  from  1738 
to  1747.  It  is  quaintly  recorded  that  the  Gov- 

19 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ernor's  lady,  with  a  kindly  feeling  for  the  boys 
in  the  neighborhood  who  cast  longing  looks 
towards  her  fine  cherry-trees  which  overhung 
the  sidewalk  on  Chestnut  Street,  sometimes 
allowed  them  to  help  themselves  to  the  fruit, 
which  was  certainly  as  politic  as  it  was  gen 
erous.  She  also,  upon  June  days  when  her 
roses  were  in  bloom,  frequently  indulged  the 
pretty  girls  who  strolled  past  her  garden  with 
fragrant  nosegays.  Mr.  John  Ross  afterwards 
lived  in  this  house,  and  although  it  was  within 
a  square  of  the  State  House,  his  wife  deemed 
it  too  remote  for  their  family  to  live  in.  Here, 
despite  the  remoteness  of  her  residence,  Eliza 
beth  Graeme  gathered  about  her  the  best  ele 
ments  of  the  Philadelphia  life  of  her  day.  Dr. 
Benjamin  Rush,  who  was  a  literary  man  as 
well  as  a  physician  of  distinguished  ability,  de 
lighted  in  the  society  of  Dr.  Thomas  Graeme 
and  his  daughter,  and  was  a  constant  habitut 
of  their  house.  To  the  versatile  ready  pen  of 
this  writer  we  are  indebted  for  a  description  of 
this  earliest  American  salon  and  of  its  presid 
ing  genius : 

"  In  her  father's  family  she  [Miss  Graeme] 
now  occupied  the  place  of  her  mother.  She 
kept  his  house  and  presided  at  his  table  and 
fireside  in  entertaining  all  his  company.  Such 
was  the  character  of  Dr.  Graeme's  family  for 
hospitality  and  refinement  of  manners  that 
all  strangers  of  note  who  visited  Philadel 
phia  were  introduced  to  it.  Saturday  even 
ings  were  appropriated,  for  many  years  during 

20 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Miss  Graeme's  winter  residence  in  the  city, 
for  the  entertainment,  not  only  of  strangers, 
but  of  such  of  her  friends  of  both  sexes  as 
were  considered  the  most  suitable  company 
for  them.  These  evenings  were,  properly 
speaking,  of  the  Attic  kind.  The  genius  of 
Miss  Graeme  evolved  the  heat  and  light  that 
animated  them.  .  .  .  She  soon  discovered, 
by  the  streams  of  information  she  poured 
upon  her  friends,  that  she  had  been  *  all  eye, 
all  ear,  and  all  grasp '  during  her  visit  to 
Great  Britain.  .  .  .  One  while  she  instructed 
by  the  stores  of  knowledge  contained  in  the 
historians,  philosophers,  and  poets  of  ancient 
and  modern  nations,  which  she  called  forth 
at  her  pleasure;  and  again  she  charmed  by 
a  profusion  of  useful  ideas,  collected  by  her 
vivid  and  widely  expanded  imagination,  and 
combined  with  exquisite  taste  and  judgment 
into  an  endless  variety  of  elegant  and  de 
lightful  forms.  Upon  these  occasions  her 
body  seemed  to  evanish,  and  she  appeared 
to  be  all  mind.  ...  It  was  at  one  of  these 
evening  parties  she  first  saw  Mr.  Henry 
Hugh  Ferguson,  a  handsome  and  accom 
plished  young  gentleman,  who  had  lately  ar 
rived  in  this  country  from  Scotland.  They 
were  suddenly  pleased  with  each  other.  Pri 
vate  interviews  soon  took  place  between  them, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  months  they  were 
married.  The  inequality  of  their  ages  (for  he 
was  ten  years  younger)  was  opposed  in  a  cal 
culation  of  their  conjugal  happiness  by  the 

21 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

sameness  of  their  attachment  to  books,  retire 
ment,  and  literary  society." 

Dr.  Rush's  pleasant  augury  with  regard  to 
the  married  life  of  Elizabeth  Ferguson  was 
not  destined  to  be  realized,  as  the  ill-assorted 
union  proved  most  unhappy,  and  as  a  climax 
to  the  sorrows  of  this  woman,  who  was  cap 
able  of  writing  good  poetry  herself,  a  versifier 
of  the  time  penned  some  wretched  lines  upon 
her  marriage : 

"  Can  the  muse  that  laments  the  misfortune  of  love 

Draw  a  shade  o'er  the  sorrowful  tale, 
That  Laura  was  cheated  and  fully  could  prove 
That  Scotchmen  have  honor  that  sometimes  may  fail  ? 

****** 
"  For  pastoral  changed  to  the  tragedy  style, 

And  taught  a  hard  lesson  too  late ; 
Though  the  rashness  of  youth  in  its  folly  may  smile. 
Yet  in  tears  must  submit  to  its  fate." 

Laura  was  the  pseudonym  under  which 
Miss  Graeme  carried  on  a  rhymed  correspond 
ence,  half  gay,  half  serious,  with  the  Rev. 
Nathaniel  Evans,  who  was  evidently  deeply 
in  love  with  his  fair  correspondent.  It  was  in 
this  merry  war  of  words,  especially  in  certain 
verses  addressed  to  "The  Country  Parson," 
that  she  revealed  the  brilliancy  of  her  mind 
and  the  delicacy  of  her  wit.  Many  sorrows 
overtook  the  later  years  of  Elizabeth  Fergu 
son  in  consequence  of  her  uncongenial  mar 
riage,  and  the  unfortunate  position  in  which 
she  placed  herself,  during  the  War  of  the  Rev 
olution,  by  allowing  herself  to  act  as  an  inter 
mediary  between  Governor  Johnstone,  a  Brit- 

22 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ish  Commissioner,  and  General  Joseph  Reed, 
of  the  Continental  Army,  with  regard  to  a  ces 
sation  of  hostilities.  By  those  who  knew  her 
best,  Mrs.  Ferguson  has  been  estimated  as  a 
woman  of  elevated  and  unselfish  character, 
who  acted,  whether  wisely  or  unwisely,  ac 
cording  to  the  dictates  of  her  conscience.  Hers 
was  a  nature  cast  in  a  less  heroic  mould  than 
were  those  of  her  sister  poetesses,  Mercy 
Warren  and  Annis  Stockton,  both  of  whom 
were  ardently  patriotic,  as  were  Mrs.  John 
Adams,  Mrs.  David  Bell,*  Mrs.  Philip 
Schuyler,  Mrs.  Clement  Biddle,  and  many 
other  women  who,  like  Elizabeth  Ferguson, 
had  been  reared  amid  English  ideas  and  stand 
ards  and  with  a  certain  love  and  loyalty  for 
the  mother  country.  The  position  taken  by 
Mrs.  Ferguson  seems  to  have  been  prompted 
by  her  great  sensibility  and  her  sympathy  for 
those  who  were  suffering  from  a  war  that,  as 
she  thought,  was  desolating  her  country,  rather 
than  by  any  sentiment  of  loyalty  toward  Great 
Britain.  She  later  showed  her  patriotism  and 
kindness  of  heart  by  ministering  to  the  soldiers 
in  her  neighborhood,  and  when  General  Howe 

*  Mrs.  David  Bell,  Judith  Gary,  like  Mrs.  John  Adams, 
was  a  woman  of  decided  and  advanced  opinions.  When 
the  Virginia  Convention  was  passing  laws  for  the  govern 
ment  of  the  State,  she  spoke  and  wrote  to  her  brother, 
Colonel  Archibald  Gary,  and  other  leading  members  of  the 
Convention,  in  favor  of  abolishing  primogeniture  and  of  the 
disestablishment  of  the  Church.  This  position  Mrs.  Bell 
stoutly  maintained,  although  she  was  an  aristocrat  by 
birth  and  association  and  a  devout  churchwoman. 

23 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

was  in  possession  of  Philadelphia  she  sent  a 
quantity  of  linen,  spun  with  her  own  hands,  for 
the  use  of  the  American  soldiers  who  had  been 
taken  prisoners  at  the  battle  of  Germantown. 

In  the  loneliness  and  sorrow  that  came  to 
her  in  after  years,  Elizabeth  Ferguson  must 
often  have  turned  back  in  thought  to  the  gold 
en  days  of  her  youth,  when  in  London  she 
enjoyed  the  society  of  the  most  brilliant  men 
and  women  of  the  time,  or  in  her  father's 
house  gathered  around  her  a  circle  of  devoted 
and  admiring  friends.  When  Dr.  Benjamin 
Rush  became  one  of  the  most  eminent  of 
American  physicians  and  Francis  Hopkinson 
gained  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  writer  and 
political  satirist,  she  could  recall  with  pride 
the  days  when  these  and  many  other  noted 
men  had  surrounded  her,  deeming  her  conver 
sation  one  of  their  choicest  pleasures,  while 
young  Nathaniel  Evans  dedicated  verses  to  her, 
his  Laura,  like  another  poet  of  an  earlier  time. 

The  Philadelphia  of  Elizabeth  Graeme's  day 
was  a  suitable  place  in  which  to  hold  the  first 
American  salon  of  which  there  exists  any  rec 
ord,  as  no  other  Colonial  town  contained  so 
large  a  number  of  literary  and  scientific  men 
as  did  this  Quaker  City. 

In  addition  to  Dr.  Franklin's  "ingenious 
friends,"  who  assisted  him  in  his  scientific 
experiments,  there  was  another  circle  in  Phila 
delphia  which  represented  what  may  be  looked 
upon  as  the  liberal  education  of  that  day, 
chiefly  composed  of  men  of  fortune  and  posi- 

24 


Mrs.  Charles  Willing 

By  Robert  Feke 

Page  29 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tion  who  had  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  early 
education  and  whose  tastes  were  literary. 
This  group  included  such  men  as  Tench  Fran 
cis,  who  is  described  as  a  "  bon  vivant,  a  wit, 
and  a  man  of  talent,"  Dr.  William  Shippen, 
William  Allen,  Chief  Justice  of  Pennsylvania, 
the  Rev.  Richard  Peters,  Charles  Willing,  the 
Hamiltons,  father  and  son,  Dr.  Thomas  Cad- 
walader,  and  the  Bond  brothers,  Thomas  and 
Phineas.  Most  of  these  men  were  classical 
scholars ;  many  of  them  had  been  educated 
abroad. 

Philadelphia,  despite  an  admixture  of  Scotch, 
Irish,  and  German  in  its  population,  was  more 
distinctly  English  in  its  characteristics  than 
any  other  Colonial  city.  With  its  two  strongly 
contrasting  elements,  the  English  Quaker 
and  the  English  Churchman,  it  presented 
sharper  and  more  notable  contrasts  than  ex 
isted  elsewhere,  because  both  of  these  ele 
ments  were  represented  in  the  government, 
the  church  party  here  acquiring  power  and  ad 
vancement  more  rapidly  than  in  Puritan  New 
England.  Between  these  two  parties  little 
love  was  lost,  and  although  no  persecution  for 
conscience'  sake  darkens  the  fair  pages  of  the 
history  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  some 
acrimonious  remarks  are  to  be  found  in  diaries 
and  letters  of  leading  Friends  upon  "the  hot 
church  party,"  and  "the  church  party  with  its 
packed  vestry,"  while  'William  Penn,  in  one  of 
his  letters  to  James  Logan,  speaks  of  "  two  as 
gaudy  and  costly  Common  Prayer  Books  as  the 

25 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Queen  has  in  her  chapel  and  a  fine  commun 
ion  table,"  designed  for  Christ  Church,  both 
of  which,  he  says,  "charms  the  baby  in  the 
Bishop  of  London  as  well  as  Parson  Evans." 

These  remarks  were  returned  with  no  less 
acrimony  by  the  church  people,  we  may  be 
sure ;  but  however  these  two  opposing  fac 
tions  may  have  differed  upon  questions  of 
government  or  religion,  they  united  in  their 
desire  to  advance  science  and  learning  and  to 
educate  the  youth  of  Pennsylvania.  Conse 
quently  we  find,  appended  to  Dr.  Franklin's 
"Proposals"  for  a  college,  the  names  of  such 
eminent  Friends  as  James  Logan,  an  old  man 
in  1749,  of  Robert  Strettell,  a  man  of  affairs 
as  well  as  a  scholar  who  had  taken  a  promi 
nent  position  in  the  much  discussed  question 
of  representation  in  the  Assembly  of  the  Prov 
ince  of  those  who  were  opposed  to  the  bearing 
of  arms,  and  of  Dr.  Lloyd  Zachery,  side  by  side 
with  the  signatures  of  Tench  Francis,  William 
Allen,  Thomas  White,  father  of  the  Bishop  of 
the  same  name,  John  Inglis,  Joseph  Turner, 
and  other  churchmen.  Most  of  these  gentle 
men  proved  the  catholicity  of  their  spirits  by 
taking  a  leading  part  in  founding  the  City  Danc 
ing  Assembly  about  the  same  time.  The  fact 
that  men  of  learning  and  influence,  many  of 
them  classical  scholars,  united  with  Franklin 
in  founding  the  College  of  Philadelphia  seems 
to  answer  the  question  asked  more  than  once, 
"  How  was  it  that  the  academy  which  Franklin 
was  so  active  in  establishing  should  have  been 

26 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

from  the  first,  to  a  great  extent,  a  classical 
institution,  his  own  views  having  been  in  favor 
of  a  more  practical  course  ?  "  Franklin  himself 
wrote  that  he  submitted  his  views  to  some  of 
his  friends,  who  concurred  with  him,  adding, 
"but  Mr.  Allen,  Mr.  Francis,  Mr.  Peters,  and 
some  other  persons  of  wealth  and  learning, 
whose  subscriptions  and  countenance  we 
should  need,  were  of  the  opinion  that  it  ought 
to  include  the  learned  languages." 

Knowing  well  that  wealth  and  social  in 
fluence  would  inevitably  tip  the  balance  when 
placed  in  the  scales  against  even  so  good  a 
counter  opinion  as  his  own,  the  shrewd 
Franklin  tactfully  yielded  to  the  more  power 
ful  claims  of  his  colleagues. 

Men  of  scholarly  tastes  and  classical  attain 
ments  were  always  to  be  found  among  Friends 
from  the  days  of  Thomas  Lloyd  and  James 
Logan  to  later  times,  when  Charles  Thomson 
helped  the  students  of  the  College  of  Phila 
delphia  to  climb  the  rocky  hill  of  learning 
contained  between  the  covers  of  the  Latin 
grammar,  and  John  Dickinson  penned  his 
learned  treatises  upon  liberal  government. 

In  addition  to  English  scholars  among 
Friends  and  worldlings,  Scotch  learning  was 
represented  by  James  Wilson,  the  distin 
guished  advocate,  who  later  impressed  him 
self  upon  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  by  Mr.  John  Beveridge,  who  taught 
a  grammar  school  in  Edinburgh  and  in  Hart 
ford,  Connecticut,  before  he  was  invited  to 

27 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Philadelphia  to  conduct  a  private  Latin  school 
in  that  city.  Mr.  Beveridge,  like  Mr.  James 
David  Dove,  Thomas  Makin,  and  other  in 
structors  of  youth,  sometimes  welcomed  the 
visits  of  the  Muse  of  Poetry.  Another  learned 
Scotchman  was  Dr.  Francis  Alison,  vice-pro 
vost  and  rector  of  the  Academy  of  Phila 
delphia,  a  Presbyterian  divine,  upon  whose 
preaching  John  Adams  occasionally  attended, 
at  his  church  on  High  Street,  at  the  corner 
of  Bank,  sometimes  called  the  Buttonwood 
Church,  on  account  of  the  large  trees  of  that 
variety  surrounding  it.  John  Adams  seems  to 
have  been  generously  catholic  in  his  church- 
going,  as  he  wrote  to  his  wife  of  pleasant 
excursions  into  the  Episcopal  churches,  where 
he  confessed  to  hearing  "better  prayers,  better 
speaking,  softer,  sweeter  music,"  and  seeing 
"  genteeler  company  "  than  elsewhere.  Upon 
another  occasion  Mr.  Adams  spoke  of  stroll 
ing  into  the  "  mother  church,  or  rather  the 
grandmother  church,"  as  he  filially  denom 
inated  the  Romish  Chapel  of  St.  Joseph's, 
still  standing  among  the  high  buildings  and 
narrow  streets  of  the  business  part  of  Phila 
delphia. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  a  city,  which  led 
the  Colonies  in  literature,  science,  and  phi 
lanthropy,  should  have  possessed  two  such 
printers  as  Benjamin  Franklin  and  William 
Bradford.  Although  these  men  were  industri 
ous  and  skilful  craftsmen  who  were  proud  of 
their  honest  calling,  they  both  set  out  in  life 

28 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

to  be  much  more  than  printers.  Franklin's 
talents  and  avocations  were  so  varied  that 
they  defy  all  attempt  at  classification,  while 
William  Bradford  was  a  publisher  as  well  as 
printer,  a  scholar,  a  discriminating  lover  of 
literature,  and,  like  Franklin,  an  ardent  patriot. 
In  the  Franklin  family  the  printing  trade  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  hereditary,  while  Brad 
ford  belonged  to  a  family  of  printers  and 
publishers.  His  grandfather,  Colonel  William 
Bradford,  was  the  first  printer  in  the  Middle 
Colonies,  while  his  maternal  great-grandfather 
was  Andrew  Sowle,  an  eminent  printer  and 
publisher  of  London  in  the  time  of  Charles  the 
First  and  during  the  Restoration. 

Standing  in  the  background  of  this  life,  as 
became  the  well-bred  woman  of  that  day, 
yet  wielding  an  important  influence  in  social 
matters,  were  such  capable  women  as  Mrs. 
Thomas  Hopkinson,  whose  letters  give  evi 
dence  of  superior  mind  and  character,  Mrs. 
William  Plumsted,  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Shippen, 
once  pretty  Jane  Galloway  of  Maryland,  who 
in  a  picturesque  gown  and  gay  hat  has  come 
down  to  this  generation  from  the  brush  of 
Benjamin  West.  Here,  also,  holding  a  promi 
nent  place  in  the  social  life  of  Philadelphia  as 
wife  of  its  Mayor,  in  days  when  that  ofHce 
was  filled  by  gentlemen  of  position  and  stand 
ing,  was  Mrs.  Charles  Willing.  Mrs.  Willing 
was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Abigail  Shippen, 
and  in  1731  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Will 
ing,  who  had  emigrated  to  Philadelphia  from 

29 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Bristol,  England.  Mr.  Willing  filled  the  posi 
tion  of  mayor  in  1748  and  again  in  1754,  when 
he  died  of  ship  fever,  contracted  while  in  the 
discharge  of  his  official  duties.  Charles  Will 
ing  was  universally  respected  and  esteemed 
as  a  public  officer  and  as  a  merchant,  being 
associated  with  his  brother  Thomas  in  one 
of  the  leading  mercantile  houses  of  the  day. 
Mr.  Willing  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
College  of  Philadelphia  and  of  the  Dancing 
Assembly,  and  we  find  Mrs.  Willing  spoken 
of  at  one  of  the  earlier  meetings  of  this  festive 
circle,  in  English  fashion,  as  "  the  Mayoress." 
Her  portrait  by  Robert  Feke  represents  a  hand 
some  young  matron  of  much  dignity  and  force 
of  character,  arrayed,  as  became  her  position 
in  social  life,  in  the  fashion  of  the  gay  world 
of  her  time,  her  rich  brocade  being  worn  over 
a  high  and  somewhat  exaggerated  hoop. 

Mrs.  Charles  Willing,  Mrs.  Thomas  Hop- 
kinson,  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Shippen,  like  Mrs. 
Ferguson,  belonged  to  the  Church  of  England 
circle  in  Philadelphia,  and  doubtless  were 
present  at  the  literary  lady's  reunions.  Un 
fortunately,  Dr.  Rush,  in  describing  these 
meetings  at  Mrs.  Ferguson's,  was  so  wanting 
in  the  reportorial  spirit  of  a  later  day  that  he 
failed  to  give  a  full  list  of  the  names  of  those 
who  assisted  at  this  "  feast  of  reason  and  flow 
of  soul." 

A  charming  girl  who  must  have  entered  into 
the  enjoyment  of  Mrs.  Ferguson's  evenings 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  youth  and  her  own 

30 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

exceptionally  bright  mind  was  Miss  Sarah 
Eve,  who  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  Rush 
family.  Like  Elizabeth  Ferguson,  this  young 
lady  kept  a  diary  for  the  entertainment  of  her 
family,  especially  for  that  of  her  father,  Cap 
tain  Oswald  Eve,  who,  being  a  sea-captain, 
was  away  from  home  for  months  at  a  time. 
By  some  happy  fortune,  Miss  Eve's  spirited 
chronicle  of  the  small  happenings  and  gossip 
of  the  little  circle  in  which  she  lived  has  been 
preserved,  to  give  to  men  and  women  of  to 
day  the  color,  atmosphere,  and  such  fleeting 
lights  and  shadows  of  that  life  as  are  only 
to  be  gained  from  the  pen-pictures  of  vivid 
impressionists.  Although  Miss  Eve's  parents 
had  been  married  in  Christ  Church,  and  she 
was  herself  a  regular  attendant  of  the  English 
Church,  her  visiting  in  Philadelphia  seems  to 
have  been  chiefly  among  the  Quaker  aristoc 
racy,  and  this  despite  the  fact  that  her  red 
hair  was  "  always  fashionably  dressed  and  her 
appearance  very  stately."  In  consequence, 
probably,  of  her  stately  appearance  Miss  Eve 
was  accused  of  being  "too  proud;"  but  al 
though  so  keenly  alive  to  the  humorous  side 
of  life  as  to  have  been  at  times  in  danger  of 
making  enemies,  Sarah  Eve  seems  to  have 
been  singularly  free  from  pride  or  vanity. 

From  her  home,  a  country  place  situated 
upon  a  wooded  stream  which  fed  a  mill-dam 
near  Fifth  and  Thompson  Streets,  Miss  Eve 
made  many  pleasant  excursions  to  Rocky 
Point,  Mr.  Thomas  Clifford's  country-seat  on 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  Delaware,  and  to  the  Guests'  place  on 
the  New  Jersey  side  of  the  river.  Miss  Anna 
Clifford  and  Betsey  and  Amelia  Guest  were 
Sarah  Eve's  most  intimate  friends ;  and  in  her 
diary  she  tells  of  visits  to  them  in  their  Phila 
delphia  homes,  as  well  as  to  Betsy  Rush, 
Taby  Fisher,  Deby  Mitchell,  and  Amy  Horner, 
often  remaining  overnight,  unexpectedly,  in 
true  girl  fashion. 

Miss  Eve  sometimes  illustrated  her  remarks 
with  quotations  from  the  books  that  she  had 
been  reading,  which  included  "'The  Fashion 
able  Lover,'  a  prodigious  fine  comedy  wrote 
by  Cumberland,"  the  poems  of  Thomas  God 
frey,  an  early  Philadelphia  poet,  and  "  The 
Adventures  of  the  Renowned  Don  Quixote." 
The  latter  work,  she  finds  herself  in  an  ex 
cellent  humor  to  enjoy,  lying  in  a  fine  soft  bed, 
while  "  Miss  Bets  "  (Betsy  Rush)  is  sitting  up 
in  the  parlor  with  her  lover,  Captain  Bethel. 

Reading  this  young  girl's  chronicle  of  the 
life  of  her  day,  the  people  whom  she  met, 
and  her  own  clever,  pungent  observations  upon 
both,  we  fail  to  wonder  that  Benjamin  Rush 
lost  his  heart  to  the  fair  chronicler.  Through 
the  simple  record  of  daily  happenings,  the 
junketings  and  the  visits,  the  arrival  in  the 
Province  of  Governor  John  Penn,  and,  evi 
dently  no  less  important  to  Miss  Eve,  that  of 
Mrs.  Smith's  new  baby,  there  runs  the  fine 
thread  of  a  love-story.  Wherever  Miss  Eve 
was  drinking  tea,  Dr.  Rush  seems  to  have 
happened  in,  either  to  enjoy  the  sociable  meal 

32 


Mrs.  Adams  (Sarah  Eve) 
By  Saint  Memin 


Colonel  William  Bradford 
Page  28 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

with  the  gay  little  circle,  or  later  in  the  evening 
for  a  chat,  or  a  moonlight  stroll  with  the  young 
ladies  to  the  Mineral  Spring  at  Sixth  and 
Chestnut  Streets. 

Once,  when  Miss  Eve  and  her  mother  had 
been  ill  for  several  days,  Dr.  Rush  called  upon 
them  and  expressed  surprise  and  regret  that 
he  had  not  been  informed  of  the  state  of  affairs. 
Being  aware  of  the  good  Doctor's  propensity 
for  bleeding  upon  all  occasions,  we  are  con 
scious  of  a  feeling  of  relief  that  he  did  not  ap 
pear  upon  the  scene  until  the  cases  required  no 
more  severe  treatment  than  "  for  mama  some 
powders  and  me  some  elixir,  which  we  think," 
says  Miss  Eve,  "  have  been  of  service  to  both. 
Are  we  not  blest  with  the  best  of  friends  ?  " 

The  romance  of  these  two  brilliant  young 
people  was  not  destined  to  reach  the  climax  of 
a  happy  marriage,  as  Sarah  Eve  died  in  De 
cember,  1774,  just  three  weeks  before  the  date 
named  for  her  wedding.*  In  a  sketch  entitled 

*  Among  St.  Memin's  portraits  is  one  of  Sarah  Eve. 
The  quaint,  charming  little  face  does  not,  however,  repre 
sent  the  diarist,  Sarah  Eve,  of  the  last  century,  but  a  niece 
who  was  named  after  her.  This  Miss  Eve  was  born  in 
or  near  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1783,  and,  oddly 
enough,  married  an  Irish  gentleman  named  Adams.  While 
travelling  abroad  with  his  wife,  Mr.  Adams  died.  On  her 
return  voyage,  during  the  War  of  1812,  the  American  ship 
in  which  Mrs.  Adams  had  sailed  was  taken  by  the  British 
and  she  was  carried  to  Halifax  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  Mrs. 
Adams  was,  of  course,  released,  and  after  a  tedious  jour 
ney  was  restored  to  her  father,  who  was  then  living  in 
Georgia. 

3  33 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

"  A  Female  Character,"  which  appeared  in 
the  Pennsylvania  Packet  a  few  days  later,  Dr. 
Rush  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  lovely  and 
noble  character  of  his  fiancee,  whom  he  classed 
among  the  "  first  order  of  beings." 

Dr.  Rush  was  fortunate  in  having  numbered 
among  his  intimate  friends  two  of  the  "  first 
order  of  beings,"  Elizabeth  Ferguson  and  Sa 
rah  Eve ;  but  alas  for  the  constancy  of  man ! 
— he  soon  discovered  a  third  being  of  this 
superlative  order  in  the  person  of  Miss  Julia 
Stockton,  of  New  Jersey,  whom  he  married 
two  years  after  the  death  of  Miss  Eve. 


34 


SALONS  COLONIAL  &  REPUBLICAN 


CHAPTER  II.  REPUBLICAN  DRAWING- 
ROOMS 

IN  New  York  the  social  etiquette  of  the  first 
administration,  as  well  as  much  of  the 
policy  of  the  new  government,  was  out 
lined.  A  small  matter,  it  may  seem  to  us 
to-day,  to  know  how  the  President  and  Mrs. 
Washington  were  to  receive  their  guests,  and 
whether  they  were  expected  to  make  calls 
upon  the  families  of  cabinet  members  and 
strangers,  or  only  to  receive  at  stated  times 
when  called  upon.  Yet  these  questions  were 
of  moment,  and  it  was  with  an  earnest  de 
sire  to  conduct  his  life  in  accordance  with  his 
high  position  that  the  President  propounded 
the  following  questions  to  the  Vice-President, 
Mr.  Adams,  to  Mr.  Hamilton,  Mr.  Jay,  and 
Mr.  Madison  : 

"  Whether,  after  a  little  time,  one  day  in 
every  week  will  not  be  sufficient  for  receiving 
visits  of  compliment? 

"  Whether,  when  it  shall  have  been  under 
stood  that  the  President  is  not  to  give  enter 
tainments  in  the  manner  the  presidents  of 
Congress  have  formerly  done,  it  will  be  prac 
tical  to  draw  such  a  line  of  discrimination,  in 
regard  to  persons,  as  that  six,  eight,  or  ten 
official  characters,  including  in  rotation  the 
members  of  both  houses  of  Congress,  may  be 

35 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

invited,  personally  or  otherwise,  to  dine  with 
him  on  the  days  fixed  for  receiving  company, 
without  exciting  clamors  in  the  rest  of  the 
community  ? 

"Whether  it  would  be  satisfactory  to  the 
public  for  the  President  to  make  about  four 
great  entertainments  in  a  year,  on  such  great 
occasions  as  the  Anniversary  of  the  Dec 
laration  of  Independence,  the  Alliance  with 
France,  the  Peace  with  Great  Britain,  the 
Organization  of  the  General  Government; 
and  whether  arrangements  of  these  two  last 
kinds  could  be  in  danger  of  diverting  too 
much  of  the  President's  time  from  business, 
or  of  producing  the  evils  which  it  was  in 
tended  to  avoid  by  his  living  more  recluse 
than  the  presidents  of  Congress  have  hitherto 
lived  ? 

"  Whether  there  would  be  any  impropriety 
in  the  President's  making  informal  visits  ;  that 
is  to  say,  in  his  calling  upon  his  acquaintances 
or  public  characters  for  the  purpose  of  socia 
bility  or  civility  ?  And  what,  as  to  the  form  of 
doing  it,  might  evince  these  visits  to  have  been 
made  in  his  private  character,  so  as  that  they 
may  not  be  construed  into  visits  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States  ?  And  in  what 
light  would  his  visits  rarely  at  tea-parties  be 
considered  ?  " 

To  these  questions  Mr.  Adams  replied  with 

all    seriousness,    that    no    visits   of    ceremony 

were  to  be  required  of  the   President  and   his 

wife,  nor  were  large  entertainments  to  be  ex- 

36 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

pected  of  them.  Certain  days  and  hours  were 
to  be  set  apart  for  the  reception  of  visitors. 
These  receptions,  Mr.  Adams  thought,  should 
be  conducted  with  some  form  and  ceremony, 
application  to  be  made  through  the  Minister 
of  State,  and  in  every  case  the  name,  quality, 
or  business  of  the  visitor  to  be  communicated 
to  the  chamberlain  or  gentlemen  in  waiting, 
who  should  judge  whom  to  admit  and  whom 
to  exclude. 

Mr.  Hamilton  quite  agreed  with  the  Vice- 
President;  but  to  some  Republican  ears  these 
regulations  savored  of  the  audience  chamber 
of  a  monarch.  Mr.  Jefferson  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  "  the  glare  of  royalty  and  nobility, 
during  his  mission  to  England,  had  made  him 
[Mr.  Adams]  believe  their  fascination  a  neces 
sary  ingredient  in  government,"  while  William 
Maclay,  United  States  Senator  from  Pennsyl 
vania,  declared  himself  boldly  against  all  the 
devices  of  this  "  son  of  Adam."  Mr.  Maclay, 
who  was  as  strongly  Republican  in  his  views  as 
Mr.  Jefferson,  and  was  always  on  the  lookout 
for  stumbling-blocks  and  rocks  of  offence  from 
the  Federalists,  wrote  in  his  diary  at  this 
time  : 

11 1  entertain  no  doubt  that  many  people  are 
aiming  with  all  their  force  to  establish  a  splen 
did  court  with  all  the  pomp  of  majesty.  Alas  ! 
poor  Washington,  if  you  are  taken  in  this 
snare  !  Then  will  the  gold  become  dim  !  Then 
will  the  fine  gold  be  changed  !  Then  will  your 
glory  fade  ! "  Again,  when  a  motion  for  ad- 
37 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

journment  carried,  in  order  to  allow  the  sen 
ators  to  attend  the  President's  levee,  Mr.  Ma- 
clay  wrote  with  a  pen  dipped  in  gall :  "  Levees 
may  be  extremely  useful  in  old  countries 
where  men  of  great  fortunes  are  collected,  as 
it  may  keep  the  idle  from  being  much  worse 
employed.  But  here  I  think  they  are  hurtful. 
They  interfere  with  the  business  of  the  public, 
and,  instead  of  employing  only  the  idle,  have 
a  tendency  to  make  men  idle  who  should  be 
better  employed.  Indeed,  from  these  small 
beginnings  I  fear  we  shall  follow  on  nor  cease 
till  we  have  reached  the  summit  of  court  eti 
quette,  and  all  the  frivolities,  fopperies  and 
expense  practiced  in  European  governments. 
I  grieve  to  think  that  many  individuals  among 
us  are  aiming  at  these  objects  with  unceasing 
diligence." 

Despite  these  and  other  strictures  upon  the 
social  etiquette  of  this  administration,  we  can 
not  fail  to  look  upon  it  as  a  fortunate  circum 
stance  that  the  President  and  some  of  his 
advisers  were  not  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  and  Mr. 
Maclay's  way  of  thinking.  Washington,  with 
rare  wisdom  and  foresight,  said  with  regard  to 
social  usages  about  to  be  inaugurated :  "  Many 
things,  which  appear  of  little  importance  in 
themselves  and  at  the  beginning,  may  have 
great  and  durable  consequences  from  their 
having  been  established  at  the  commence 
ment  of  a  new  general  government.  It  will 
be  much  easier  to  commence  the  adminis 
tration  upon  a  well-adjusted  system,  built  on 

38 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tenable  grounds,  than  to  correct  errors,  or  alter 
inconveniences,  after  they  shall  have  been  con 
firmed  by  habit." 

Mr.  Hamilton  and  Mr.  Adams  were  both  of 
the  opinion  that  a  certain  amount  of  form  and 
ceremony  added  to  the  dignity  of  a  republican 
government  as  well  as  to  that  of  a  monarchy, 
in  addition  to  which  the  stated  days  and  hours 
for  receiving  guests  prevented  the  President 
and  Mrs.  Washington  from  being  intruded 
upon  at  inopportune  times.  The  President 
was  especially  desirous  that  the  ceremonial 
of  the  receiving  of  visits  should  be  arranged, 
as  he  realized  soon  after  his  inauguration  that 
he  was  no  longer  master  of  himself  or  of  his 
home.  "  By  the  time  I  had  done  breakfast," 
he  wrote,  "  and  thence  till  dinner,  and  after 
wards  till  bed-time,  I  could  not  get  rid  of  the 
ceremony  of  one  visit  before  I  had  to  attend 
to  another.  In  a  word,  I  had  no  leisure  to 
read  or  to  answer  the  dispatches  that  were 
pouring  in  upon  me  from  all  quarters." 

The  question  of  tea-drinkings  Mr.  Adams 
answered  summarily  by  saying  that  the  Presi 
dent  had  a  right  to  attend  festivities  of  this 
nature  whenever  and  wherever  he  chose,  such 
invitations  being  accepted  by  him  as  a  private 
citizen. 

Mr.  Maclay's  jeremiads  upon  the  vanity  of 
the  world  in  which  he  was  dwelling,  where 
nothing  was  "valued  or  regarded  but  the 
qualifications  that  flow  from  the  tailor,  barber, 
or  dancing  master,"  are  amusing  enough  when 

39 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

contrasted  with  the  dignified  simplicity  of  the 
President's  much  criticized  Tuesday  afternoon 
levees.  Each  guest  was  introduced  by  one 
of  the  secretaries,  Mr.  Tobias  Lear  or  Major 
William  Jackson.  After  the  introductions 
were  completed,  the  President  passed  along 
the  line  of  guests,  calling  each  one  by  name 
and  saying  a  few  words  to  each  in  turn.  No 
refreshments  were  served. 

Mrs.  Washington  held  her  drawing-room 
on  Friday  evenings,  and  although  these  func 
tions  were  not  lacking  in  dignity,  they  were 
probably  a  little  less  splendid  than  would 
appear  from  Mr.  Huntington's  picture  of  the 
Republican  Court.  Mrs.  Washington,  who 
was  eminently  domestic,  seems  to  have  pos 
sessed  the  power  of  giving  a  homelike  charm 
to  all  that  she  did,  whether  it  was  to  make  a 
cup  of  tea  at  her  own  table  for  Mr.  Wansey, 
or  to  receive  in  her  drawing-room  the  guests 
of  the  nation.  The  descriptions  that  have 
come  down  to  us  of  the  Friday  evening  re 
ceptions  at  the  Presidential  mansion,  with 
their  tea,  plum  cake,  and  early  hours  for 
meeting  and  retiring,  suggest  no  social  usages 
that  could  by  their  artificiality  or  splendor 
endanger  republican  institutions.  Great  balls 
were  given  during  the  first  administration,  by 
the  Comte  de  Moustier  and  others,  but  none 
seem  to  have  been  given  by  the  President. 

For  the  arduous  task  that  lay  before  him, 
the  President  associated  with  him  the  best 
element  that  the  country  afforded  in  birth, 

40 


Lady  Catherine  Duer 

Page  64 


Governor  William  King 
Page  45 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

breeding,  and  scholarship,  as  well  as  in  char 
acter  and  statecraft.  It  was  less  difficult  then 
than  to-day  to  bring  to  the  service  of  the 
nation  the  best  talent  of  the  land.  The  regu 
lar  business  of  many  prosperous  individuals 
had  been  unsettled  by  the  long  war,  and 
furthermore,  be  it  said  to  their  honor,  men  of 
ability  were  content  to  forego  the  more  rapid 
building  up  of  fortunes  for  the  sake  of  giving 
their  time  and  talents  to  the  support  of  a 
national  life  that  had  been  bought  with  a 
price.  Nor  can  the  emoluments  of  office 
be  looked  upon  as  weighing  heavily  in  the 
balance  against  private  interests,  when  Jeffer 
son's  compensation  for  his  services  as  Secre 
tary  of  State  was  thirty-five  hundred  dollars, 
while  his  associate  cabinet  officers  received 
only  three  thousand  dollars.  Upon  this  mod 
est  sum  these  gentlemen  and  their  families 
were  expected  to  make  a  good  appearance, 
entertain  strangers,  and  live  in  a  style  suited 
to  their  position  in  a  city,  "where  living  was 
naturally  more  expensive  from  the  fact  that 
Congress  had  established  itself  there.  Every 
thing,  however,  depends  upon  the  point  of 
view  ;  and  when  twenty  thousand  dollars  was 
proposed  for  the  President  and  eight  thousand 
dollars  for  the  Vice-President,  Mr.  Maclay, 
with  withering  sarcasm,  proposed  to  reverse 
the  old  proverb  and  make  it  read,  "  Be  no  ser 
vice  but  salary,"  feeling  that  such  "  princely 
incomes  "  would  lead  to  extravagance  and  pos 
sibly  to  office-seeking. 

4' 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Before  accepting  the  position  of  Auditor  of 
the  Treasury,  offered  him  in  the  new  govern 
ment,  Mr.  Wolcott  wrote  to  Mr.  Oliver  Ells 
worth  to  ascertain  something  with  regard  to 
the  expense  of  living  in  New  York,  that  he 
might  decide  whether  the  modest  sum  of 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  would  enable  him  to 
sustain  such  an  outward  appearance  as  he 
deemed  suitable  for  an  official  of  his  position 
in  the  administration.  On  learning  that  a 
house  and  stable  could  be  had  for  two  hun 
dred  dollars  and  the  best  wood  for  four  dollars 
a  cord,  he  concluded  that,  despite  the  fact  that 
marketing  was  twenty-five  per  cent,  above  the 
Hartford  rates,  it  would  be  safe  to  make  the 
experiment.  In  writing  to  his  wife  upon  this 
subject  Mr.  Wolcott  said :  "  I  am  confident 
that  no  change  in  our  habits  of  living  will  in 
any  degree  be  necessary.  The  example  of  the 
President  and  his  family  will  render  parade 
and  expense  improper  and  disreputable." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Mr.  Wolcott's  ex 
pectations  with  regard  to  the  moderation  of 
the  President's  household  were  not  disap 
pointed.  Extravagance  and  luxury  were  never 
encouraged  by  the  President  or  Mrs.  Wash 
ington,  and  even  if  Mr.  Maclay  found  their 
dinners  the  best  that  he  had  ever  eaten,  he 
never  once  speaks  of  them  as  too  elaborate. 
It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  this  very  critical 
Senator  had,  at  that  time,  no  fault  to  find  with 
this  "first  Character  in  the  world,"  or  with 
his  amiable  lady. 

42 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Most  of  those  who  held  positions  in  the  new 
government  had  already  served  the  Colonies 
by  their  counsel,  their  statecraft  and  their 
diplomacy,  such  men  as  John  Adams,  the 
Vice-President;  John  Jay,  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court ;  Alexander  Hamilton,  Secre 
tary  of  the  Treasury  ;  his  great  colleague  in 
Federalism,  James  Madison ;  and  their  brilliant 
opponent,  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  had  re 
turned  from  his  mission  in  France  in  time  to 
accept  the  most  important  portfolio  in  the  new 
cabinet.  No  less  distinguished  were  Edmund 
Randolph,  first  Attorney-General  of  the  United 
States;  Robert  R.  Livingston,  Chancellor  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  who  had  just  administered 
the  oath  of  office  to  the  President  at  the  City 
Hall ;  James  Iredell,  of  North  Carolina,  who 
had  forfeited  a  large  fortune  in  the  West 
Indies  in  order  to  serve  the  patriot  cause,  and 
was,  in  1790,  appointed  by  the  President,  As 
sociate  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States  ;  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton, 
United  States  Senator  from  Maryland  ;  Wil 
liam  Bradford,  Attorney-General  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  later  of  the  United  States ;  Robert 
Morris,  and  Benjamin  Huntington,  of  Con 
necticut,  grandfather  of  the  artist,  Daniel 
Huntington,  whose  brush  has  perpetuated  the 
faces  and  figures  of  this  illustrious  group  for 
future  generations. 

Mr.  Maclay  has  left  an  amusing  pen-picture 
of  three  of  the  cabinet  officers  as  they  ap 
peared  at  a  dinner  given  by  the  Pennsylvania 
43 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

delegation  :  "  Hamilton,"  he  says,  "  has  a  very 
boyish,  giddy  manner,  and  Scotch-Irish  people 
•would  call  him  a  'skite.'  Jefferson  trans 
gresses  on  the  extreme  of  stiff  gentility  or  lofty 
gravity.  Knox  is  the  easiest  man,  and  has 
the  most  dignity  of  presence.  They  retired 
at  a  decent  time,  one  after  another.  Knox 
stayed  the  longest,  as  indeed  suited  his  aspect 
best,  being  more  of  a  Bacchanalian  figure." 

One  of  the  younger  statesmen  in  the  Con- 
gress  of  the  first  administration  was  Rufus 
King,  from  Maine,  who  had  served  in  the 
Congress  of  1785,  and  there,  at  the  age  of 
thirty,  had  introduced  a  resolution  which  was 
later  adopted  in  the  ordinance  of  1787  for 
the  government  of  the  Northwestern  Terri 
tory.  Mr.  King's  resolution  was : 

"That  there  should  be  neither  slavery  nor 
involuntary  servitude  in  any  of  the  states 
described  in  the  resolution  of  Congress  in 
April,  1784,  otherwise  than  in  punishment 
of  crime  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been 
personally  guilty ;  and  that  this  regulation 
shall  be  made  an  article  of  compact,  and 
remain  a  fundamental  principle  of  the  Consti 
tution  between  the  original  states  and  each 
of  the  states  named  in  the  said  resolve." 

Mr.  King  married  Mary  Alsop,  daughter  of 
John  Alsop,  member  of  the  Continental  Con 
gress  from  his  own  State.  This  marriage  took 
place  while  the  Congress  was  in  session  in 
New  York.  John  Adams,  who  was  abroad 
at  the  time,  wrote  to  congratulate  the  groom, 

44 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  at  the  same  time  very  cleverly  announced 
the  marriage  of  his  own  daughter,  by  saying 
that  he  takes  especial  interest  in  Mr.  King's 
marriage  to  Miss  Alsop,  of  New  York,  and 
Mr.  Gerry's  recent  marriage,  because  "  A  good 
work  of  the  same  kind,  for  connecting  Massa 
chusetts  and  New  York  in  the  bonds  of  love, 
was  going  on  here.  Last  Sunday,  under  the 
right  reverend  sanction  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  and  the  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  were 
married  Mr.  Smith  and  Miss  Adams.*  It  will 
be  unnatural  if  federal  purposes  are  not  an 
swered  by  these  marriages." 

Mrs.  Rufus  King  is  described  as  charming, 
cultivated,  and  possessed  of  great  personal 
beauty. 

William  King,  a  brother  of  Rufus  King,  took 
an  active  part  in  the  separation  of  Maine  and 
Massachusetts,  and  was  subsequently  elected 
the  first  Governor  of  Maine.  At  the  conclu 
sion  of  his  term  of  office,  Governor  King  was 
appointed  Commissioner  for  the  adjustment 
of  Spanish  Claims. 

Side  by  side  with  statesmen  and  diploma 
tists  were  such  gallant  soldiers  as  General 
Henry  Knox,  who  occupied  the  position  of 
Secretary  of  War,  which  bureau,  during  this 
and  the  following  administration,  included 
naval  matters ;  General  Philip  Schuyler,  now 

*  Colonel  William  S.  Smith,  of  Jamaica,  Long  Island, 
was  appointed  Secretary  of  Legation,  and  while  in  Eng 
land  married  Abigail  Adams.  Charles  Adams  married 
Sally  Smith,  a  sister  of  Colonel  William  S.  Smith. 

45 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Senator  from  New  York ;  Charles  Cotes  worth 
Pinckney,  from  South  Carolina,  who  is  better 
known  as  a  statesman  than  as  a  soldier,  and 
who,  during  a  mission  abroad,  upon  which  he 
entered  a  little  later,  formulated  the  truly 
American  maxim,  "  Millions  for  defence,  but 
not  a  cent  for  tribute ; "  General  Philemon 
Dickinson,  United  States  Senator  from  New 
Jersey,  and  his  brother-in-law,  Samuel  Mere 
dith,  who  had  fought  at  Princeton,  Brandy- 
wine,  and  Germantown,  and  now  served  his  old 
commander  as  first  Treasurer  of  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Meredith  held  this  position  for 
more  than  twelve  years,  and  is  said  to  have 
paid  into  the  Treasury  its  first  deposit,  a  loan 
from  himself  to  the  government  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  The  gallant  and  intrepid 
Pennsylvania  soldier,  Anthony  "Wayne,  has 
been  appointed  by  his  former  comrade-in-arms 
General-in-Chief  of  the  United  States  Army. 
As  there  is  still  trouble  in  the  Northwest, 
where  certain  Indian  tribes  are  making  a 
stand  for  Great  Britain,  Wayne  finds  little 
time  for  councils  of  state  and  still  less  for 
playing  carpet  knight  in  ladies'  drawing- 
rooms,  handsome  as  he  is,  and  fond  as  he 
may  be  of  fine  uniforms  on  dress  parade. 

A  distinguished  circle  was  this,  which  was 
assembled  around  Mrs.  Washington,  the  most 
distinguished  that  had  ever  been  gathered 
together  in  the  New  World,  and  one  rarely 
if  ever  equalled  in  later  times,  for  here 
were  men  and  women  who  had  learned  their 

46 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

lessons  of  patriotism  in  the  school  of  danger 
and  adversity.  Many  of  the  wives  and  daugh 
ters  of  men  who  had  come  from  other  States 
to  fill  positions  in  the  national  government 
were  with  their  husbands  and  fathers,  while 
all  the  women  belonging  to  representative  New 
York  families  were  present  at  the  Tuesday 
evening  receptions.  During  the  early  months 
of  the  administration,  the  Washingtons  lived 
in  the  house  of  Walter  Franklin  on  Cherry 
Street,  at  that  time  owned  by  his  widow,  who 
had  married  Mr.  Samuel  Osgood.  This  "was 
a  substantial  square  building  with  five  windows 
facing  on  the  Cherry  Street  front,  and  the  same 
number  on  Franklin  Square.  To  this  house, 
tradition  says,  the  President  walked  from  the 
foot  of  Wall  Street,  after  the  inauguration, 
amid  the  joyful  shouts  of  the  assembled  mul 
titude.  The  Pennsylvania  representatives, 
George  Clymer  and  Thomas  Fitzsimons,  were 
quite  near  the  President's  on  Pearl  Street. 
Another  Pennsylvania  statesman,  Senator 
Maclay,  was  nursing  his  rheumatic  knee  that 
gave  him  so  much  trouble,  and  the  bitter  prej 
udices  that  caused  him  even  more  uneasiness, 
"  at  Mr.  Vandolsom's  near  the  Bear  Market," 
according  to  the  "  Register  for  1789,"  which 
also  states  that  Mr.  Henry  Wynkoop  was  at 
the  same  house,  while  Colonel  Jeremiah  Van 
Rensselaer  was  "  at  Mr.  Strong's,  near  the 
Albany  Pier."  Mr.  Oliver  Wolcott  wrote  his 
father  that  he  was  comfortably  lodged  at  Mrs. 
Grinnell's,  No.  27  Queen  Street,  where  he  says 

47 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

that  he  procured  lodgings  in  a  good  family. 
Although  Mr.  Jefferson  later  had  an  establish 
ment  on  Broadway,  he  wrote  to  his  son-in-law 
that  he  was  glad  to  secure  a  small  house  on 
Maiden  Lane.  This  street  with  its  quaint 
name  ran  down  to  the  Vly  (or  Vlye)  Market, 
near  which  once  stood  the  alluring  Bunch  of 
Grapes  tavern,  where  food  was  provided,  not 
only  for  "  man  and  beast,"  but  for  mind  and 
body,  as  here  the  "Three  R's  were  taught  in 
a  commodious  room  and  youth  fitted  for  the 
counting-house."  Near  the  President's  home 
on  Pearl,  or  Queen  Street,  was  the  Friends' 
Meeting,  as  this  was  the  aristocratic  Quaker 
district  of  old  New  York.  The  Franklins, 
whose  house  the  President  occupied,  were 
leading  Friends.  "  Here,"  says  Mr.  Griswold, 
"  were  the  Pearsalls,  the  Pryors,  the  Embrees, 
the  Emnghams,  the  Hickses,  the  Hawxhursts, 
the  Halletts,  the  Havilands,  the  Cornells,  the 
Kenyons,  the  Townsends,  the  Tituses,  the 
Willetts,  the  Wrights,  etc.  Interspersed,  how 
ever,  with  these  residences  were  others,  equal 
ly  substantial,  though  not  as  plain,  such  as 
those  of  the  Waltons  and  Roosevelts.  The 
Bank  of  New  York  was  first  kept  in  the  large 
Walton  House,  and  its  first  President,  the 
elder  Isaac  Roosevelt,  had  his  dwelling  nearly 
opposite." 

Colonel  Theodoric  Bland,  James  Madison, 
John  Page,  and  other  Virginians  gave  evidence 
of  their  proverbial  clannishness  by  living  in  the 
same  street,  Maiden  Lane.  The  Nestors  of 

48 


Colonel  Jeremiah  Wadsworth 
By  Janres  Sharpies 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  administration,  Colonel  Jeremiah  Wads- 
worth,  who  had  filled  with  honor  during  the 
war  the  important  position  of  Commissary 
General  to  the  Continental  Army,  and  Jona 
than  Trumbull,  the  brave  old  war  Governor  of 
Connecticut,  the  original  "  Brother  Jonathan," 
were  both  living  at  195  Water  Street.  Mr. 
Hamilton's  residence  was  at  the  corner  of 
Broad  and  Wall  Streets,  and  the  following 
year  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osgood  returned  to  their 
own  home  on  Cherry  Street,  and  the  President 
occupied  Mr.  Macomb's  house  on  Broadway ; 
the  Secretaries  of  State  and  of  War  were 
then  living  quite  near  on  the  same  street.  Sir 
John  Temple,  British  Consul  General  for  the 
Eastern  States,  was  established  on  the  other 
side  of  Broadway,  on  Cortlandt  Street,  while 
Theodore  Sedgwick  and  Fisher  Ames  were 
thankful  to  find  an  abiding-place  at  Mrs.  Duns- 
comb's  fashionable  bachelors'  boarding-house. 
The  Reverend  Manasseh  Cutler,  while  in 
New  York,  dined  with  the  Temples,  and  found 
much  to  admire  in  them  and  in  their  elegant 
establishment.  It  being  Sunday,  the  dinner 
hour  was  two  o'clock,  and  even  without  the 
mellow  glow  of  wax  candles,  Mr.  Cutler 
confessed  that  the  brilliancy  of  the  liveries 
and  service  was  only  exceeded  by  the  beauty 
of  the  hostess,  who  was,  he  says,  "The 
greatest  beauty,  notwithstanding  her  age,  I 
ever  saw.  To  a  well-proportioned  form,  a 
perfectly  fine  skin,  and  completely  adjusted 
features,  is  added  a  soft,  but  majestic  air,  an 
4  49 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

easy  and  pleasing  sociability,  a  vein  of  fine 
sense  which  commands  admiration  and  infuses 
delight.  Her  smiles,  for  she  rarely  laughs, 
could  not  fail  of  producing  the  softest  sensi 
bility  in  the  fiercest  savage.  Her  dress  is  ex 
ceedingly  neat  and  becoming,  but  not  gay. 
She  is  now  a  grandmother,  but  I  should  not 
suppose  her  more  than  22:  her  real  age  is  44." 
Sir  John,  Mr.  Cutler  pronounced  "  a  Com 
plete  Gentleman,"  and  his  wines  superlative 
in  quality,  nothing  pleasing  him  more  than  to 
hear  his  Madeira  praised  and  to  have  his 
guests  frequently  beg  for  the  honor  of  a  glass 
with  him. 

The  small  daughter  of  the  house,  Augusta, 
aged  six,  the  New  England  parson  found  even 
more  remarkable  than  her  mother,  her  man 
ners  being,  according  to  his  description,  those 
of  a  complete  woman  of  society.  "She  in 
troduces  herself,"  says  Mr.  Cutler,  "with  an 
easy  politeness  to  every  person  in  the  com 
pany,  and  is  never  at  a  loss  for  a  subject  of 
conversation,  and  so  sensible  and  pertinent 
are  all  her  observations  and  remarks  that  she 
never  fails  of  pleasing. 

"  She  distinguishes  characters  in  paying  her 
attentions  with  a  judgment  and  precision 
which  would  do  honor  to  mature  age. 

"  No  lady  is  more  complete  mistress  of  all 
the  little  etiquette  which  adorns  a  finished 
education." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Mr.  Cutler  somewhat 
exaggerated  the  attainments  of  this  very 

50 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

young  lady,  as  his  picture  suggests  an  infant 
phenomenon,  rather  than  the  intelligent  and 
well-bred  child  that  little  Miss  Temple  doubt 
less  was.  It  is  gratifying  to  learn  from  family 
records  that,  despite  this  wisdom  beyond  her 
years,  Augusta  Temple  lived  to  reach  matu 
rity.  She  became  the  wife  of  William  Pal 
mer,  of  Boston,  and  the  grandmother  of  the 
late  Rufus  Prime,  of  New  York. 

Lady  Temple,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Gover 
nor  Bowdoin,  of  Massachusetts,  married  John 
Temple  in  1767,  many  years  before  he  in 
herited  his  title,  which  came  to  him  in  a  rather 
roundabout  fashion  through  his  great-grand 
father,  the  Reverend  Thomas  Temple,  LL.D., 
Rector  of  Burton-in-the- Water,  -Gloucester 
County,  England,  who  was  the  devisee  of  his 
cousin,  Sir  Thomas  Temple,  Governor  of 
Nova  Scotia.  The  circumstances  of  Sir  John 
Temple's  birth  and  residence  seem  to  accord 
with  the  description  given  of  Mr.  Henry 
James,  the  novelist,  an  "  English  gentleman 
who  happened  to  be  born  in  America,"  as 
John  Temple  was  born  near  Boston,  of  Eng 
lish  parents,  was  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New 
Hampshire  under  the  Crown,  and  later  repre 
sented  England  as  Consul-General  for  the 
Eastern  States.  Sir  John  Temple  died  in  New 
York  in  1798,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Grenville,  tenth  baronet,  who  married  Eliza 
beth,  daughter  of  Colonel  George  Watson,  of 
Boston.  Charming  portraits  of  Lady  Temple 
in  her  youth  and  in  her  widowhood  are  in 

Si 


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possession  of  her  descendants,  the  first  by 
Copley  and  the  last  by  Stuart.  Lady  Temple's 
portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart  was  painted  when 
she  was  in  London  in  1806,  and  as  a  pendant 
to  this  picture  Stuart  made  a  copy  from  Cop 
ley's  portrait  of  Sir  John  Temple  as  appears 
from  a  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Win- 
throp,  who  was  abroad  with  her  mother  at 
the  time  that  the  portraits  were  painted.  John 
Trumbull  also  painted  a  family  group,  con 
sisting  of  Sir  John  and  Lady  Temple,  with 
Grenville  Temple  and  the  infant  Augusta. 

Mr.  Huntington  has  in  his  famous  painting 
of  the  Republican  Court  made  the  McComb 
home  on  Broadway  the  background  of  his 
picture.  This  was  a  much  more  commodious 
house,  to  v/hich  the  President  and  his  family 
removed  in  the  spring  of  1790.  Mrs.  "Wash 
ington,  although  most  dignified  in  her  bearing 
and  manners,  was  of  small  stature,  and  Mr. 
Huntington,  whether  true  to  life  or  simply  to 
his  own  artistic  instincts,  has  made  the  small 
hostess  appear  as  if  standing  upon  a  slight 
elevation  above  most  of  her  guests.  Some  of 
her  particular  friends  are  near  her,  among 
these  Mrs.  Robert  Morris,  who  is  spoken  of 
by  a  diarist  of  the  time  as  the  "  second  female 
figure  at  court."  The  two  Custis  children 
stand  near  their  grandmother, — Nellie,  a  beau 
tiful  girl  of  twelve,  and  her  younger  brother, 
George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  both  far  too 
young  to  have  been  present  at  a  formal  draw 
ing-room,  except  for  the  purpose  of  having 

52 


Lady  Temple 

(Elizabeth  Bowdoin) 

By  John  Singleton  Copley 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

their  portraits  painted.  The  President  did  not 
usually  stand  beside  his  wife  on  these  occa 
sions,  as  he  considered  himself  a  private  citizen 
when  at  Mrs.  Washington's  receptions,  and 
moved  from  group  to  group.  Dignified  ma 
trons  and  youthful  beauties  from  North  and 
South  gathered  around  the  hostess  of  the  na 
tion,  while  no  less  charming  were  those  who 
were  here  upon  "  their  native  heath,"  such 
women  as  Mrs.  John  Jay,  Lady  Kitty  Duer, 
Mrs.  Ralph  Izard, — who,  although  she  be 
longed  to  a  loyalist  family,  was  the  wife  of  the 
patriotic  Senator  from  South  Carolina, — Mrs. 
James  Beekman,  Mrs.  GeorgeClinton,  Mrs.  Rob 
ert  R.  Livingston,  Mrs.  Walter  Livingston,  Mrs. 
John  Bayard,  and  Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton, 
who,  as  Miss  Betsey  Schuyler,  had  been  wooed 
and  won  by  Washington's  young  aide-de-camp 
during  the  Morristown  encampment,  ten  years 
before.  Mrs.  Hamilton,  as  the  wife  of  a  cabi 
net  officer  and  the  daughter  of  an  old  New  York 
family,  also  had  her  days  for  receiving.  Her 
drawing-room  is  described  as  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  of  the  time,  her  mother  and  sisters 
often  assisting  her.  Mrs.  Church,  Mrs.  Ham 
ilton's  eldest  sister  Angelica,  had  recently  re 
turned  from  abroad,  bringing  with  her  the 
latest  fashions,  among  them  what  Walter 
Rutherfurd  called  "  a  late  abominable  fashion 
from  London,  of  Ladies  like  Washwomen 
with  their  sleeves  above  their  elbows."  M. 
de  Warville,  who  met  Mrs.  Hamilton,  spoke 
of  her  as  "  a  charming  woman,  who  joined  to 

S3 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

all  the  graces  the  simplicity  of  an  American 
wife."  It  was  this  same  observing  traveller 
who,  when  he  found  Alexander  Hamilton 
working  until  a  late  hour  over  his  law  cases, 
expressed  his  astonishment  that  a  man  who 
had  made  a  fortune  for  a  nation  should  be 
laboring  all  night  to  support  a  family.  Ham 
ilton's  brilliant,  intellectual  face  was  often 
to  be  seen  at  the  President's  table,  as  a 
warm  friendship  existed  between  the  grave 
Virginian  and  his  gay,  versatile  young  Secre 
tary,  who  was  yet  capable  of  solving  such 
serious  problems  for  the  nation.  Washing 
ton  probably  knew  Hamilton's  faults  as  well 
as  anyone  ;  but,  with  his  own  strict  ideas  of 
life  and  duty,  he  was  capable  of  looking  be 
yond  them  and  seeing  what  was  great  and 
good  in  his  character.  The  complex,  contra 
dictory  nature  of  Hamilton  seems  never  to 
have  been  fully  understood ;  but  we  may  be 
lieve  that  the  best  part  of  his  character,  as 
well  as  his  genius,  was  known  and  valued  by 
the  Chief,  who  loved  him. 

Mrs.  Hamilton,  lovely  in  old  age  as  in  her 
youth,  is  described  as  having  a  delicate  face, 
full  of  character.  Her  fine  eyes,  which  were 
very  dark,  held  the  life  and  energy  of  the 
restrained  countenance.  Mrs.  Hamilton  may 
not  have  been  as  handsome  as  her  mother,  but 
she  was  equally  brave  and  high-spirited.  Mrs. 
Philip  Schuyler's  daughters  all  seem  to  have 
inherited  their  mother's  courage,  which  was 
often  put  to  the  severest  test  during  the 

54 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

war.  Her  daughter  Margaret,  who  now  bears 
her  mother's  maiden  name,  having  married 
Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  was  a  girl  of  about 
thirteen  when  the  Schuyler  home,  near  Albany, 
was  attacked  by  a  party  of  Indians,  Canadians, 
and  French  under  John  Walter  Meyer.  The 
General,  his  wife  and  children,  had  gained  an 
upper  room,  from  whose  window  he  fired  to 
alarm  the  town  and  the  sleeping  guard,  when 
Mrs.  Schuyler  suddenly  discovered  that  the 
youngest  child  had  been  left  in  her  cradle  on 
the  first  floor.  General  Schuyler  would  not 
allow  his  wife  to  risk  her  life  by  going  down  to 
rescue  the  child;  but  Margaret,  quicker  than 
thought,  flew  down  two  flights  of  stairs, 
snatched  her  little  sister  from  the  cradle,  and 
was  running  upstairs  with  the  baby  in  her 
arms  'when  an  Indian  hurled  a  tomahawk  at 
her.  The  young  girl's  dress  was  cut,  and  the 
weapon  passed  within  a  few  inches  of  the 
infant's  head  and  lodged  in  the  railing  of  the 
stairs.  Meyer  saw  the  girl  running  upstairs 
with  a  child  in  her  arms,  and,  taking  her  for 
the  nurse,  called  out,  "  Wench,  wench,  where 
is  your  master  ?  "  "  Gone  to  alarm  the  town," 
was  the  clever  reply ;  and  in  another  moment 
Margaret  had  gained  the  upper  room  and  laid 
the  baby  in  her  mother's  arms,  while  Meyer 
and  the  marauders — misled  by  Margaret's 
answer  and  by  the  voice  of  the  General  calling 
from  the  window,  as  if  speaking  to  a  large 
party  of  men,  "  Come  in,  my  brave  fellows  ! 
Surround  the  house  !  Seize  the  villains  who 
55 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

are  plundering  !  " — suddenly  and  precipitately 
retreated  with  a  large  amount  of  plate,  which 
they  had  found  in  the  dining-room.  The  baby 
thus  bravely  rescued  was  Catherine  Schuyler, 
who  afterwards  married  Major  Cochran. 

Other  women,  as  heroic  as  Mrs.  Schuyler 
and  her  daughter,  had  shared  with  their 
husbands  and  fathers  the  dangers  and  the 
excitements  of  camp  life  ;  and  now,  in  her 
own  drawing-room,  Mrs.  Washington  renewed 
friendships  formed  in  days  of  trial  and  sus 
pense.  Chief  among  her  army  friends  were 
Mrs.  Knox  and  Mrs.  Greene.  Little  Mrs. 
Smith,  John  Adams's  daughter,  wrote  to  her 
mother  of  dining  with  the  General  and  Mrs. 
Knox,  and  finding  the  former  not  half  so  fat  as 
he  had  been  and  the  latter  much  improved  in 
her  appearance.  This  improvement  must  have 
taken  place  after  Mr.  Cutler  met  Mrs.  Knox, 
as  he  described  her  and  her  costume  in  terms 
far  less  flattering  than  those  of  Mrs.  Smith. 
"  Dined  with  General  Knox,"  wrote  the  New 
England  parson,  who  seems  to  have  been  a 
great  diner  out ;  "  Introduced  to  his  lady  and  a 
French  nobleman,  the  Marquis  Lotbiniere, — 
at  dinner,  to  several  other  gentlemen,  who 
dined  with  us.  Our  dinner  was  served  in  high 
style — much  in  the  French  taste.  Mrs.  Knox 
is  very  gross,  but  her  manners  easy  and  grace 
ful.  She  is  sociable  and  would  be  very  agree 
able,  were  it  not  for  her  affected  singularity 
in  dressing  her  hair.  She  seems  to  mimic  a 
military  style,  which  to  me  is  disgusting  in  a 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

female.  Her  hair  in  front  is  craped  at  least  a 
foot  high,  much  in  the  form  of  a  churn  bottom 
upward,  and  topped  off  with  a  wire  skeleton  in 
the  same  form  covered  with  black  gauze,  which 
hangs  in  streamers  down  to  her  back.  The 
hair  behind  is  in  a  large  braid,  turned  up,  and 
confined  with  a  monstrous  large  crooked  comb. 
She  reminded  me  of  the  monstrous  cap  worn 
by  the  Marquis  La  Fayette's  valet,  commonly 
called,  on  this  account,  the  Marquis'  Devil." 

This  seems  a  cruel  description  of  good  Mrs. 
Knox,  who  was  the  soul  of  kindness,  and  was 
always  the  beloved  "  Lucy "  of  her  faithful 
"  Harry,"  even  if  she  chose  to  disfigure  her 
head  with  an  unsightly  pyramid. 

Mrs.  Nathaniel  Greene,  no  longer  the  gay 
young  matron  who  "  danced  upwards  of  three 
hours  with  General  Washington  without  once 
sitting  down,"  but  a  woman  saddened  by  a 
crushing  sorrow  and  three  years  of  widow 
hood,  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  President's 
home.  During  his  Southern  tour  Washing 
ton  recorded  in  his  diary,  that  on  his  way  to 
Augusta  he  stopped  "  to  dine  with  the  widow 
of  his  old  friend  and  companion  in  arms, 
General  Greene,  at  her  seat  called  Mulberry 
Grove;"  while  in  his  New  York  diary  the 
President  often  spoke  of  having  Mrs.  Greene, 
Mrs.  Knox,  and  Mrs.  Montgomery  to  dine 
with  Mrs.  Washington  and  himself,  and  to 
join  a  theatre  party  afterwards.  To  these 
two  widows  of  his  former  associates,  Mrs. 
Nathaniel  Greene  and  Mrs.  Richard  Mont- 

57 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

gomery,   the    President  always    paid   marked 
attention. 

In  order  to  add  to  the  interest  of  his  paint 
ing,  Mr.  Huntington  has  been  guilty  of  such 
anachronisms  as  introducing  into  his  picture 
General  Nathaniel  Greene,  who  died  before 
the  new  government  was  established,  while 
the  Duke  of  Orleans,  afterwards  King  of  the 
French,  and  the  Duke  of  Kent,  father  of  Queen 
Victoria,  who  were  in  America  at  different 
times,  are  represented  as  making  their  bows 
to  Mrs.  Washington  at  the  same  time.  Such 
anachronisms  as  these  may  be  overlooked  in 
the  poet,  novelist,  or  artist,  and  although 
sometimes  misleading  do  not  in  this  case 
destroy  the  historic  value  of  Mr.  Huntington's 
painting,  which  has  been  most  carefully 
studied  in  the  matter  of  costumes  as  well  as 
with  regard  to  the  faces  and  figures  repre 
sented. 

Mr.  Jefferson's  daughter,  Martha,  who  mar 
ried  Thomas  Mann  Randolph  soon  after  her 
return  from  abroad,  appears  in  this  picture ; 
but  as  no  mention  is  made  of  a  visit  to  New 
York  in  the  numerous  letters  that  passed 
between  her  father  and  herself,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  she  left  the  congenial  domesticity 
of  Monticello  for  the  gayeties  of  the  capital. 
Martha  Jefferson's  marriage  was  evidently 
pleasing  to  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  summed  up 
his  son-in-law's  advantages  in  one  of  his  char 
acteristic  sentences,  as  "  a  man  of  science, 
sense,  virtue  and  competence." 

58 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mary,  Maria,  or  Polly  Jefferson,  as  she  was 
usually  called,  accompanied  her  father  to 
Philadelphia  in  the  autumn  of  1791,  as  he 
wrote  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Randolph  soon  after 
he  arrived  at  the  capital: 

"The  first  part  of  our  journey  was  pleasant, 
except  some  hair-breadth  escapes  which  our 
new  horse  occasioned  us  in  going  down  hills 
the  first  day  or  two,  after  which  he  behaved 
better,  and  came  through  the  journey  pre 
serving  the  fierceness  of  his  spirit  to  the  last. 
I  believe  he  will  make  me  a  valuable  horse. 
Mrs.  Washington  took  possession  of  Maria 
at  Mount  Vernon,  and  only  restored  her  to 
me  here  [Philadelphia].  It  was  fortunate 
enough,  as  we  had  to  travel  through  five  days 
of  north-east  storm,  having  learned  at  Mount 
Vernon  that  Congress  was  to  meet  on  the  24th 
instead  of  the  sist,  as  I  had  thought." 

Mr.  Huntington  introduces  Miss  Haber- 
sham,  of  Georgia,  into  his  picture.  This 
young  lady,  of  whom  no  contemporaneous 
description  is  to  be  found,  was  the  daughter 
of  Colonel  Joseph  Habersham,  whose  portrait, 
by  Charles  Willson  Peale,  has  lately  been 
acquired  by  Independence  Hall.  Colonel  Hab 
ersham  was  one  of  the  heroic  Southern  figures 
of  the  war.  In  1775  he  seized  the  powder 
in  the  arsenal  at  Savannah,  thus  securing  it 
for  the  patriot  cause,  and  later  as  Major  of 
the  First  Georgia  Battalion  defended  the  chief 
city  of  his  State  against  a  British  naval  attack. 
Colonel  Habersham  was  appointed  by  Presi- 

59 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

dent  Washington  to  succeed  Mr.  Samuel 
Osgood  as  Postmaster-General,  which  posi 
tion  he  held  during  several  administrations. 

Senator  Charles  Carroll  from  Maryland  was 
accompanied  to  New  York  by  his  daughter 
Polly,  who  had  married  Mr.  Richard  Caton, 
an  English  gentleman  who  came  to  America 
in  1785.  Mrs.  Caton,  who  was  herself  charm 
ing  in  manners  and  appearance,  is  now  chiefly 
known  as  the  mother  of  the  beautiful  Catons. 
The  eldest  of  these  daughters  married  Mr. 
Robert  Patterson,  of  Baltimore,  and  while 
abroad  with  her  husband  was  much  admired 
by  young  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley,  afterwards 
Duke  of  Wellington,  who  regularly  corre 
sponded  with  Mrs.  Patterson  after  her  return 
to  America.  Mrs.  Patterson  after  her  hus 
band's  death  revisited  London.  Her  former 
admirer,  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  was  mar 
ried;  but  as  if  it  were  written  in  the  book  of 
fate  that  the  American  beauty  should  marry 
a  Wellesley,  his  elder  brother,  the  Marquess 
of  Wellesley,  then  Viceroy  of  India,  was  cap 
tivated  by  the  still  young  and  lovely  widow, 
whom  he  married.  One  of  the  sisters  of  the 
Marchioness  of  Wellesley  married  Colonel 
Hervey,  an  aide-de-camp  to  Lord  Wellington 
at  Waterloo,  and  becoming  a  widow  was  mar 
ried  to  the  Marquess  of  Caermarthen,  after 
wards  Duke  of  Leeds,  while  a  third  daughter 
of  Richard  Caton  married  Baron  Stafford,  and 
a  fourth  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  McTavish, 
for  many  years  British  Consul  at  Baltimore. 

60 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

General  Oliver  Wolcott,  who  had  rendered 
such  good  service  in  the  field  as  well  as  in 
Congress  during  the  Revolution,  was  not  in 
New  York  much  of  the  time  during  the  first 
administration.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to 
greet  the  President  when  he  reached  New 
Haven,  during  the  Eastern  tour  of  the  Chief 
Magistrate,  and  as  Lieutenant-Governor,  and 
later  as  Governor,  of  Connecticut  was  in  con 
stant  correspondence  with  the  President,  by 
whom  he  was  highly  esteemed. 

It  was  General  Oliver  Wolcott  who,  after 
the  overthrow  of  the  leaden  statue  of  George 
the  Third  in  New  York,  had  it  conveyed 
to  his  home  at  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  where 
under  his  direction  it  was  converted  into 
bullets  for  the  use  of  the  army.  In  this  patri 
otic  work  General  Wolcott  was  aided  by  the 
women  of  his  family. 

In  writing  to  his  wife  from  Philadelphia, 
where  he  was  attending  the  sessions  of  Con 
gress  in  1777,  General  Wolcott  asked  for  par 
ticular  information  about  the  health  of  the 
family,  as  Mrs.  Wolcott  and  the  children  were 
then  undergoing  the  barbarous  process  of  in 
oculation  for  small-pox.  "  I  perceive,"  he 
says,  "that  Mariana  has  had  it  bad — he  [Dr. 
Smith]  writes  very  hard.  I  am  heartily  sorry 
for  what  the  little  Child  has  suffered,  and  very 
much  want  to  see  her.  If  she  has  by  this  lost 
some  of  her  Beauty,  which  I  hope  she  has 
not,  yet  I  well  know  she  might  spare  much 
of  it  and  still  retain  as  much  as  most  of  her 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Sex  possess."  Then  the  good  New  England 
father  adds,  as  if  in  excuse  for  having  made 
too  much  of  the  fatal  snare  of  beauty,  "  But 
I  hope  the  Small  Pox  will  give  her  no  un 
easiness,  tho'  it  may  have  a  little  hurt  her 
Complexion,  as  there  is  no  valuable  or  lasting 
Beauty  but  what  exists  in  the  Mind;  and  if 
she  cultivates  these  Excellencies,  she  will  not 
fail  of  being  beloved  and  esteemed." 

From  her  portrait  and  from  the  descriptions 
of  contemporaries,  it  is  evident  that  "  Mari 
ana"  did  not  lose  her  beauty,  even  if  she  had 
the  small-pox  "  very  hard."  Marianne  was 
the  youngest  daughter  of  General  Wolcott, 
and  was  one  of  the  brides  of  the  first  adminis 
tration,  as  she  married  Chauncey  Goodrich  in 
October,  1789.  Mr.  Goodrich  was  in  Congress 
later ;  but  in  these  early  years  he  and  his  wife 
spent  much  of  their  time  in  their  Hartford 
home,  as  appears  from  Mrs.  Goodrich's  letters 
to  her  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Oliver  Wolcott,  Jr. 
A  warm  friendship  evidently  existed  between 
these  ladies.  Before  their  marriage  they  wrote 
fanciful  school-girl  letters  to  one  another,  and 
afterwards  long  domestic  epistles  about  their 
husbands  and  children  and  of  their  own  doings 
at  home  and  abroad.  Soon  after  her  mar 
riage  Mrs.  Goodrich  wrote  to  her  sister-in- 
law,  who  was  with  her  husband  in  New- 
York,  that  her  letter  had  found  her  seated  by 
the  fire  with  her  "  good  man  like  sober,  honest 
people,"  while  to  her  mother  she  wrote,  a  little 
later,  that  although  her  sister  Laura  had  gone 

62 


Pierre  Henri 

By  Himself 

Page  2 1 1 


Mrs.  Chauncev  Goodrich 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

to  the  Assembly  with  all  the  gaiety  and  good 
spirits  of  a  girl  of  sixteen,  she  is  spending  the 
evening  at  her  own  fireside,  and  means  "to 
take  Oliver's  advise  and  not  play  too  many 
modish  pranks  this  Winter."  This  was  Oliver 
Wolcott,  Jr.,  who  was  in  New  York  as  Audi 
tor  of  the  Treasury.  Mr.  Wolcott  was  made 
f"5cretary  of  the  Treasury  upon  the  resigna 
tion  of  Mr.  Hamilton. 

Second  only  in  importance  to  Mrs.  Wash 
ington's  drawing-rooms  and  dinners  were  the 
entertainments  of  Mrs.  John  Jay  and  Lady 
Kitty  Duer.  By  some  good  fortune,  the  visit 
ing-lists  of  both  of  these  ladies  have  been 
preserved,  and  on  them  are  to  be  found  the 
names  of  statesmen,  diplomats,  foreign  min 
isters,  and  consuls,  side  by  side  with  those  of 
the  men  and  women  prominent  in  the  social 
life  of  New  York  and  of  other  leading  cities  of 
the  Union. 

Mrs.  John  Jay,  a  daughter  of  Governor 
Livingston,  of  New  Jersey,  was  a  woman  of 
considerable  natural  ability,  of  great  charm  of 
manner,  as  well  as  of  distinguished  beauty. 
Mrs.  Jay  accompanied  her  husband  upon  his 
missions  to  Spain  and  France,  and  while  in 
Paris  in  1782  made  many  friends.  Among  these 
was  the  lovely  Marquise  de  Lafayette.  In  a 
letter,  written  from  the  French  capital  a  few 
years  later,  Mrs.  Adams  said,  "Every  person 
who  knew  her  when  here  bestows  many  en 
comiums  on  Mrs.  Jay."  Another  contempo 
rary  in  writing  of  Mrs.  Jay  said  that  "with 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

her  father's  stern  patriotism,  she  blended  feat 
ures  of  gentleness,  grace  and  beauty  peculiarly 
her  own." 

An  own  cousin  of  Mrs.  Jay  was  Cathe 
rine  Duer,  who  with  her  mother,  Lady  Stir 
ling,  her  sister,  Lady  Mary  Watts,  Lady 
Temple,  and  Lady  Christiana  Griffin,  wife  of 
the  President  of  Congress,  were  among  the 
titled  dames  of  this  administration.  Cathe 
rine  Alexander  was  a  daughter  of  Major- 
General  William  Alexander,  Earl  of  Stirling, 
the  American  claimant  to  the  Scottish  earl 
dom  of  Stirling.  During  the  war,  while  Lord 
Stirling  was  engaged  in  active  service,  Lady 
Kitty  was  with  her  mother,  at  the  Stirling 
manor-house  among  the  hills  of  Basking  Ridge, 
and  naturally  entered  into  whatever  military 
festivities  served  to  dispel  the  gloom  of  those 
anxious  days  in  the  winter  of  '79,  when  the 
enemy  in  New  York  was  rather  too  near  for 
comfort  or  security  to  be  felt  in  any  of  the  New 
Jersey  homes  of  that  vicinity.  Perhaps  for 
this  reason  the  young  people  enjoyed  their 
"  little  frisks  "  all  the  more.  Lady  Kitty  cer 
tainly  enjoyed  one  especial  gaiety  at  Plucka- 
min,  held  in  honor  of  the  French  alliance,  to 
which  Colonel  William  Duer,  her  father's 
friend  and  her  own,  came  and  danced  with 
her  again  and  again.  After  some  months  a 
wedding  followed,  a  military  wedding,  when 
the  Commander-in-Chief  himself  gave  away 
the  bride,  and  all  around  the  lawn  troops 
were  on  guard,  lest  the  army  in  New  York 

64 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

should  suddenly  appear  upon  the  scene  and 
turn  the  wedding  into  a  surprise  party  of  a 
very  disagreeable  kind. 

Although  possessed  of  no  lordly  title,  Colonel 
William  Duer  was  in  every  way  worthy  of  his 
fair  bride,  as  he  was  a  distinguished  man  and 
an  ardent  American,  even  if  he  had  begun 
his  career  in  the  British  army.  Colonel  Duer 
had  rendered  important  service  in  the  Com 
mittee  of  Safety  of  New  York  and  in  the 
State  and  National  Councils,  and  it  is  said 
that  to  his  influence  was  largely  due  the 
failure  of  the  infamous  Conway  cabal,  whose 
object  was  to  depose  General  Washington 
from  his  command  of  the  army.  Colonel 
Duer  and  his  wife  were  valued  friends  of  the 
President  and  Mrs.  Washington  and  were 
frequently  their  guests  at  dinners  and  recep 
tions,  while  in  their  own  home  on  Cortlandt 
Street  they  entertained  in  a  style  befitting 
their  station.  Mr.  Cutler  of  course  dined 
with  the  Duers,  in  company,  he  records,  with 
Mr.  Osgood,  President  of  the  Board  of  the 
Treasury,  Major  Sargent,  and  several  other 
gentlemen. 

"  At  table  we  were  honored  with  the  com 
pany  of  Mademoiselle  La  Fouche,*  a  French 
lady  of  the  family  of  one  of  the  noblesse,  and 
Lady  Kitty,  the  wife  of  Colonel  Duer.  Lady 
Kitty,  for  so  she  is  called,  was  the  daughter  of 

*This  may  have  been  Mademoiselle  Fauchet,  whose 
father,  M.  Jean  Antoine  Joseph  Fauchet,  succeeded  M. 
Genet  as  Minister  from  France. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Lord  Sterling,  and  inherits  the  title  from  her 
father,  who  had  no  male  heir.  She  is  a  fine 
woman,  though  not  a  beauty,  very  sociable, 
and  with  most  accomplished  manners.  She 
performed  the  honors  of  the  table  most  grace 
fully,  was  constantly  attended  by  two  servants 
in  livery,  and  insisted  on  performing  the  whole 
herself.  Colonel  Duer  is  Secretary  to  the 
Board  of  Treasury,  and  lives  in  the  style  of 
a  nobleman." 

Whether  Lady  Kitty's  "performance"  con 
sisted  in  anything  more  than  helping  to  the 
soup  and  dessert,  Mr.  Cutler  does  not  state. 
What  seems  to  have  impressed  him  the  most 
was  Colonel  Duer's  wine  list,  "  fifteen  dif 
ferent  kinds,"  and  a  certain  sort  of  bottled 
cider  that  the  New  England  parson  evidently 
mistook  for  champagne,  in  the  first  instance. 

What  it  was  to  a  city  with  a  population 
of  a  little  over  thirty  thousand,  which  had 
been  laid  waste  by  a  destructive  fire  and  by 
the  even  more  destructive  seven  years'  resi 
dence  of  the  British  army,  to  receive  so  great 
an  influx  of  inhabitants  as  came  with  the 
sessions  of  Congress,  we  may  well  imagine. 
Seeing  New  York  arise  from  her  ashes  and 
put  on  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness,  it  is  not  strange  that  all  the  other 
towns  of  any  size,  and  some  of  no  size  at  all, 
should  have  contended  for  the  honor,  glory, 
and  profit  of  making  the  capital  their  own.  A 
far  hotter  contest  was  this  than  that  waged 
over  the  title  by  which  the  President  should 

66 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

be  addressed,  or  that  about  the  etiquette  and 
ceremonial  of  the  new  government,  because 
the  "  residence  bill "  was  a  matter  of  more 
vital  and  material  interest.  General  Philemon 
Dickinson  had  been  appointed  by  the  Conti 
nental  Congress  of  1784,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Robert  Morris  and  General  Philip  Schuyler, 
to  select  a  site  for  the  federal  capital.  These 
three  gentlemen  reported  in  favor  of  Trenton. 
This  report,  like  many  others  upon  the  same 
subject,  was  laid  upon  the  table,  which  was 
doubtless  the  best  place  for  it.  Other  propo 
sitions  for  the  "  residence,"  as  it  was  called, 
were  to  place  the  capital  at  Lancaster, 'Wright's 
Ferry,  York,  Carlisle,  Harrisburg,  Reading,  or 
Germantown.  One  of  the  Pennsylvania  Sena 
tors  went  through  the  form  of  putting  these 
names  in  nomination,  the  real  point  at  issue 
always  being  whether  the  seat  of  government 
should  be  established  in  New  York,  Philadel 
phia,  or  on  the  "ten-mile  space,"  to  be  known 
ever  after  as  the  District  of  Columbia.  Those 
who  have  studied  this  question  most  thor 
oughly  say,  that  the  establishing  of  the  gov 
ernment  in  the  District  of  Columbia  was  a 
foregone  conclusion,  being  the  result  of  a  com 
promise  between  the  assumptionists  North 
and  South.  The  Pennsylvania  delegates  were 
naturally  in  favor  of  a  "  residence  "  in  their 
own  State,  Mr.  Robert  Morris  advocating  the 
falls  of  the  Delaware;  Mr.  George  Clymer  spoke 
strongly  in  favor  of  the  banks  of  the  Susque- 
hanna,  Harrisburg,  as  the  most  favorable  posi- 

67 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tion  in  the  State,  while  Mr.  Wynkoop,  named 
by  some  of  his  associates  "His  Highness  of 
the  Lower  House,"  seems  to  have  wavered 
between  Germantown  and  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac.  With  all  their  efforts  and  lobbying, 
the  most  that  the  Pennsylvanians  were  able 
to  do,  and  that  mainly  through  the  influence 
of  Mr.  Morris,  was  to  secure  the  temporary 
"  residence  "  of  the  government  while  the 
national  buildings  were  being  erected  in  the 
District  of  Columbia.  Mr.  Maclay  evidently 
thought  that  the  Pennsylvania  delegates  had 
not  played  their  cards  adroitly,  as  he  remarked 
to  Mr.  Wynkoop,  Mr.  Clymer,  and  Mr.  Fitz- 
simmons  that  they  might  say  to  themselves, 
as  the  Scotchman  said  in  his  prayers,  "  We 
were  left  to  the  freedom  of  our  own  will,  and 
a  pretty  hand  we  have  made  of  it." 

The  New  Yorkers,  who  had  lost  the  capital, 
revenged  themselves  by  caricaturing  the  affair, 
and  presenting  Mr.  Morris  in  the  most  absurd 
light.  Why  indeed,  said  they  and  others  in  the 
opposition,  should  not  the  capital  be  estab 
lished  in  Philadelphia  for  the  next  ten  years  ? 
Was  it  not  a  finer  city  than  New  York,  was 
not  the  theatre  always  open,  and  was  it  not 
the  residence  of  "  Bobby  the  Treasurer  "  ? 
One  of  the  caricatures  represented  Mr.  Morris 
as  "  Bobby "  marching  off  with  the  Federal 
ark  upon  his  shoulders,  while  the  Devil 
attended  him  at  the  Jersey  City  ferry-house, 
calling  "This  way,  Bobby." 

Despite  opposition  and  lampooning,  canca- 
68 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tures  of  "Bobby"  and  "Miss  Assumption" 
with  her  ill-gotten  offspring,  Philadelphia  and 
"  Potowmachus,"  the  "  residence  bill  "  was 
carried  and  New  York  was  shorn  of  her  glory. 
After  a  residence  of  a  little  over  a  year,  Con 
gress  and  all  that  belonged  thereunto  were 
removed  from  New  York  to  the  banks  of  the 
Delaware.  Mr.  Maclay  moralizes  over  the 
effect  upon  Philadelphia  should  a  great  com 
mercial  town  arise  upon  the  Potomac,  utterly 
leaving  out  of  his  calculations  the  potentialities 
of  the  great  metropolis  that  was  destined  to 
arise  upon  the  scene  of  the  long  and  destruc 
tive  occupation  of  the  British  troops,  and  of  the 
brilliant,  fleeting  vision  of  brave  men  and  fair 
women,  whose  presence  has  forever  hallowed 
the  streets  of  old  New  York,  and  made  the 
names  of  Wall  Street  and  Pearl  and  Maiden 
Lane  and  Cortlandt  a  part  of  the  history  of 
the  new  Republic,  whose  foundations  were 
laid  here,  whose  builders  once  lived  in  these 
narrow  down-town  thoroughfares. 


69 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 


CHAPTER  III.     LIFE    IN    THE   QUAKER 
CAPITAL. 

WHILE  different  cities  were  contend 
ing  for  Congress  alive,  as  those  of 
Greece  once  contended  for  Homer 
dead,  Philadelphians  were  building  a  suitable 
hall  for  the  sessions  of  the  Senate  and  House. 
It  is  difficult  now  to  understand  why  Phila 
delphia,  or  any  other  city,  should  have  been  so 
desirous  of  a  merely  temporary  residence  of 
the  government.  Mr.  Maclay,  with  ingenuity 
as  well  as  acrimony,  gives  it  as  his  explanation 
"That  the  Citizens  of  Philadelphia  believe 
that  Congress  will  become  so  enamoured  of 
them  as  never  to  wish  to  leave  them,  and  all 
this  with  the  recent  example  of  New  York 
before  their  eyes,  whose  allurements  are  more 
than  ten  to  two  compared  with  Philadelphia." 
Other  persons  seem  to  have  entertained  the 
same  opinion  as  Mr.  Maclay  with  regard  to 
the  hopes  of  the  residents  of  the  Quaker  City, 
even  if  they  expressed  themselves  somewhat 
more  mildly,  and  the  fact  that  the  erection  of 
a  handsome  and  spacious  residence  for  the 
President  of  the  United  States  was  begun  in 
1791  would  seem  to  carry  out  this  idea. 

The  impulse  that  would  be  given  to  trade 
and  manufactures  by  the  residence  of  the  gov 
ernment  was  naturally  an  important  factor  in 
this  connection. 

70 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

A  writer  of  this  period  says,  that  upon  the 
arrival  of  ships  from  England,  in  the  spring 
and  autumn,  all  along  Front  Street  from  Arch 
to  Walnut,  the  pavements  were  covered  with 
boxes  and  bales  of  English  dry  goods.  The 
retailers,  principally  women,  hovered  around 
while  the  men  were  opening  the  boxes,  view 
ing  with  admiration  the  rich  varieties  of  for 
eign  chintzes,  muslins,  and  calicoes  of  the 
latest  fashion.  "  The  first  brilliant  retail  fancy 
dry  goods  shop  was  opened  about  this  time 
by  a  Mrs.  Whitesides,  as  it  was  said,  from 
London  in  the  true  Bond  Street  style,  at  134 
Market  Street ;  and  the  uncommon  size  of  the 
panes  of  glass,  the  fine  mull-mull  and  jaconet 
muslins,  the  chintzes  and  linens,  suspended  in 
whole  pieces  and  entwined  together  in  puffs 
and  festoons,  and  the  shopman  behind  the 
counter  bowing  and  smiling,  created  for  a  time 
a  sensation."  Attractive  shops  were  to  be 
found  at  30  South  Second  Street  and  on  North 
Front  Street,  where  Mrs.  Holland  dispensed 
her  goods  and  her  smiles,  and  where  Mrs. 
Jane  Taylor  sold  dry  goods  and  trimmings,  at 
the  sign  of  the  Golden  Lamb,  which,  let  us 
hope,  was  intended  as  a  guarantee  that  no 
fleecing  was  to  be  done  inside  the  door  over 
which  the  gilded  genius  presided.  These  pop 
ular  establishments  were  precursors  of  the 
famous  Levy's,  a  shop  situated  near  the  Cus- 
torn-House  on  Chestnut  Street,  to  which  the 
belles  of  the  early  years  of  the  present  century 
repaired  for  the  munitions  of  war. 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

All  along  Water  Street,  once  called  King, 
and  Front  Street,  which  was  separated  from 
Water  by  a  wall  and  an  iron  railing,  were  the 
warehouses  and  stores  of  the  old-time  mer 
chants  of  Philadelphia.  Here  were  the  India 
stores  of  Robert  Morris  and  Thomas  Willing, 
and  here  Jacob  Ridgway,  John  Welsh,  Thomas 
P.  Cope,  Robert  Ralston,  Charles  Massey, 
Manuel  Eyre,  Henry  Pratt,  Stephen  Girard, 
the  Wains,  Whartons,  Lewises,  Hollings- 
worths,  and  many  others  engaged  in  trade 
with  South  America,  the  Indies,  China,  and 
European  cities,  and  built  up  great  fortunes, 
in  days  when  Philadelphia  was  an  important 
commercial  centre. 

Although  importations  from  foreign  lands 
brought  many  luxuries  to  this  city,  life  was 
still  primitive  in  certain  respects.  Many  of 
the  old  merchants  lived  in  houses  adjoining  or 
quite  near  their  stores,  and  some  had  large 
cellars  for  storage  purposes  under  their  dwell 
ings.  Two  of  the  greatest  merchants  of  the 
time,  Henry  Pratt  and  Stephen  Girard,  lived 
on  Water  Street,  the  premises  of  the  latter 
running  through  to  his  store  on  Front  Street. 
Mr.  Pratt,  who  was  a  son  of  Matthew  Pratt, 
the  artist,  afterwards  bought  a  fine  house  on 
Front  Street  that  had  belonged  to  Isaac  Whar- 
ton.  Within  a  few  doors  lived  Henry  Drinker, 
a  leading  Quaker  merchant,  whose  wife  here 
wrote  in  her  diary  a  simple  record  of  the  daily 
events  of  her  own  small  circle. 

John  Swanwick,  now  chiefly  known  to  the 
72 


Henry  Pratt 
By  Gilbert  Stuart 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

antiquarian  as  a  writer  of  society  verses,  was 
engaged  in  the  importation  of  West  India 
goods  at  No.  20  Penn  Street,  while  at  his  store 
near  the  drawbridge  Charles  Wharton,  who 
imported  largely  from  Southern  Europe  and 
from  China,  was  advertised  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Packet  as  setting  forth  an  alluring  stock  of 
Souchong,  Congo,  and  Hyson  teas,  and  wines 
from  Lisbon  and  Fayal. 

Front  and  Second  Streets  seem  to  have  been 
the  favorite  dwelling-streets  of  the  Quaker 
merchants,  although  John  and  Elliston  Perot, 
who  had  their  store  on  Water  Street,  built 
houses  side  by  side  as  far  out  High  Street  as 
297  and  299,  which  locality  was  considered 
almost  out  of  town  in  those  days. 

The  building  erected  for  the  sessions  of  Con 
gress  was  placed  upon  the  southeast  corner  of 
Sixth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  upon  the  same  lot 
as  the  State  House,  a  happy  selection,  being 
half-way  between  the  thickly  settled  portion 
of  the  city  and  the  western  streets  towards 
which  men  of  speculative  minds  were  beginning 
to  turn  their  thoughts.*  In  the  second-story 
room  of  this  building  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States  held  its  sessions,  and  here,  on  the  4th 
of  March,  1793,  the  oath  of  office  was  admin 
istered  to  Washington  upon  his  re-election  for 
the  ensuing  four  years  as  President  of  the 

*  Mr.  John  F.  Watson  says  that  Mr.  Markoe's  house,  on 
the  south  side  of  High  Street,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth, 
was,  when  built,  called  "the  house  next  to  Schuylkill,"  on 
account  of  being  so  far  out  of  town. 

73 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

United  States.  Edward  Thornton,  Esq.,  after 
wards  Secretary  of  Legation  to  the  United 
States  from  Great  Britain,  thus  described  the 
inauguration  ceremonies  in  a  letter  to  Sir 
James  Bland  Burges,  under  date  of  March  5, 
1793  :  "  I  was  present  yesterday  at  the  cere 
mony  of  administering  the  oath  of  office  to 
Mr.  Washington  on  his  re-election  for  the 
next  four  years  as  President  of  the  United 
States.  It  was  administered  by  one  of  the 
Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Senate 
Chamber  in  the  presence  of  the  Senators  and 
as  many  individuals  as  could  be  crowded  into 
the  room.  The  President  first  made  a  short 
speech,  expressive  of  his  sense  of  the  high 
honour  conferred  on  him  by  his  re-election. 
There  was  nothing  particular  in  the  ceremony 
itself.  .  .  . 

"  There  was  one  thing  which  I  observed 
yesterday  in  the  Senate  Chamber,  which  if  not 
accidental,  will  serve  to  mark  the  character 
of  the  people,  though  it  was  trifling  in  itself. 
The  portraits  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  France, 
which  were  presented,  I  believe  during  the 
war,  were  covered  with  a  curtain,  a  circum 
stance  which  was  not  the  case  most  certainly 
when  I  have  been  there  on  former  occasions. 
Alas  !  poor  Louis  ! 

11  *  Deserted  at  his  utmost  need 

By  those  his  former  bounty  fed  J '  "  * 

*  These  portraits  of  himself  and  his  Queen  had  been 
sent  by  Louis  XVI.  to  Congress  in  1785.  As  Congress  had 

74 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Congress  Hall  was  conveniently  situated  for 
legislative  purposes,  being  only  a  short  walk 
from  the  President's  residence  on  High  Street. 
Mr.  Bradford,  the  Attorney-General,  was  liv 
ing  near  the  President  on  the  opposite  side 
of  High  Street  ;  James  Wilson,  one  of  the 
Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Mr.  Otis, 
Secretary  of  the  Senate,  were  both  established 
on  the  same  street  below  Sixth,  where  also 
lived  Dr.  Caspar  Wistar,  as  great  a  physician 
as  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  in  the  estimation  of 
many  old  Philadelphians.  On  Mulberry,  now 
Arch,  one  square  above  High,  lived  Timothy 
Pickering,  Postmaster-General,  Jared  Inger- 
soll,  Attorney-General  for  Pennsylvania,  and 
Thomas  Mifflin,  its  Governor,  and  that  spirit- 


then  no  permanent  seat,  the  French  Minister,  Barbe"-Mar- 
bois,  was  not  able  to  deliver  the  pictures.  As  he  was  about 
to  leave  America,  he  asked  Mr.  Robert  Morris  in  1785  to 
take  charge  of  them  until  a  proper  place  for  them  at  the 
meeting-place  of  Congress  could  be  provided.  Mr.  Morris 
consented,  and  preparations  were  made  to  unpack  the  pic 
tures.  To  this  Marbois  objected  in  writing.  Mr.  Morris 
wrote  back  with  some  irritation,  as  if  he  resented  the  sus 
picion  that  he  was  making  an  idle  display  of  vanity  by 
putting  up  the  portraits  in  his  own  house.  He  said  that 
he  meant  to  lock  them  up.  M.  Marbois,  however,  replied 
courteously,  repudiating  the  suspicion  which  had  been 
ascribed  to  him,  and  proposing  to  deliver  the  pictures  to 
Congress  himself. 

The  fate  of  these  portraits  has  never  been  positively 
ascertained,  but  it  is  supposed  that  they  were  carried  to 
Washington  City  and  there  destroyed,  with  so  many  others, 
by  the  fire  that  destroyed  the  government  buildings  in  1812. 

75 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ual  interests  might  not  be  lost  sight  of  amid 
surroundings  that  represented  things  tem 
poral,  a  number  of  churches  of  different  de 
nominations  were  clustered  together  between 
Second  and  Sixth  and  Arch  and  Chestnut 
Streets,  while  quite  near  the  Friends'  Meeting 
on  Second  Street  rose  the  lofty  steeple  of 
Christ  Church. 

Mr.  Oliver  Wolcott  wrote  to  his  wife  that 
he  had  secured  a  house  on  Third  Street  at 
one  hundred  pounds,  which  was  double  what 
would  have  been  exacted  before  the  matter 
of  residence  was  determined.  Mr.  Wolcott 
afterwards  lived  on  Chestnut  Street  quite  near 
Congress  Hall. 

The  Secretary  of  War,  James  McHenry, 
was  living  at  113  South  Third  Street,  not  far 
from  the  residence  of  Judge  Iredell,  of  South 
Carolina,  Alexander  Hamilton's  house  was  on 
the  same  street,  while  the  Assistant  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury,  Tench  Coxe,  was  established 
at  126  South  Second  Street. 

Third  Street  was  a  very  fashionable  quarter 
at  this  time,  the  court  end  of  the  town.  Here 
lived  the  Willings,  Powels,  Byrds,  Vauxes, 
Chews,  and  Hopkinsons.  At  the  corner  of 
Second  and  Union  Mr.  Archibald  McCall  had 
a  large  house  surrounded  by  a  great  garden, 
on  Union  above  Third  was  the  house  of  Mr. 
John  Beale  Bordley,  and  on  the  east  side  of 
Third  Street,  with  grounds  reaching  from  Pine 
Street  to  Union,  was  the  residence  of  Chief- 
Justice  McKean. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

On  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Streets,  and 
on  Walnut  Street  across  from  the  State  House 
yard,  which  then  had  an  inhospitable  board 
fence  all  around  it,  senators  and  represent 
atives  were  entertained,  either  in  their  own 
homes  or  in  the  Union  Hotel  on  Fourth  Street, 
kept  by  Francis,  who  took  pains  to  explain  to 
Mr.  Twining,  when  he  applied  to  him  for 
boarding,  that  his  house  was  not  a  tavern, 
but  a  private  house  for  the  reception  of  Mem 
bers  of  Congress.  The  English  gentleman 
gratefully  accepted  a  small  room  at  the  top 
of  the  house,  considering  himself  fortunate 
to  secure  a  foothold  in  this  exclusive  resort, 
where  he  dined  with  the  Vice-President,  Mr. 
Adams,  in  his  drab  coat,  and  breakfasted  with 
senators  and  representatives,  Democratic  and 
Federalist,  who  forgot  their  political  differ 
ences  in  their  enjoyment  of  Mrs.  Francis's 
unrivalled  buckwheat  cakes. 

Those  travellers  who  have  left  the  most  in 
teresting  pictures  of  Philadelphia  life  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  century  are  the  Marquis 
de  Chastellux,  Brissot  de  Warville,  the  Duke 
de  la  Rochefoucauld-Liancourt,  Mr.  Henry 
Wansey,  Mrs.  John  Warder,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Twining.  The  latter  was  an  English  gentle 
man  who  came  to  America  from  India  in  1795, 
accompanied  by  two  rather  singular  travelling 
companions,  a  small  Bengal  cow,  and  a  great 
sheep  which  he  called  a  "doombah."  Find 
ing  no  grazing  ground  near  his  lodgings,  Mr. 
Twining  was  fortunate  in  the  friendship  of 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mr.  Bingham,  who  extended  the  hospitality 
of  his  fine  lawn  on  Fourth  Street  to  the  much 
prized  "doombah." 

Monsieur  de  Liancourt  in  his  diary  speaks  of 
the  distinctly  English  features  of  Philadelphia 
life,  while  Mr.  Wansey  found  the  manners  and 
styles  so  like  London  that,  while  sitting  in  the 
theatre,  he  almost  imagined  himself  in  the 
capital  of  his  own  country. 

That  the  Quaker  City  was  not  destitute  of 
amusements  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact 
that  two  theatres  were  supported,  one  known 
as  the  Southwark  Theatre,  at  the  corner  of 
South  Street  and  Apollo,  in  which  Major 
Andre,  Captain  Delancey,  and  other  young 
officers  had  given  amateur  theatricals  during 
the  British  occupation,  and  another  place  of 
entertainment  on  Chestnut  Street  above  Sixth, 
opened  in  1794.  Despite  petitions  signed  by 
over  three  thousand  citizens,  by  clergymen 
of  different  denominations,  including  Bishop 
"White,  the  Reverend  George  Duffield,  the 
Reverend  Ashbel  Green,  and  Joseph  Pilmore, 
and  by  prominent  elders  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  theatrical  representations  had  been 
given  in  Philadelphia,  with  occasional  inter 
missions,  from  1754  until  1794,  when  the  open 
ing  of  the  large  theatre  on  Chestnut  Street 
made  it  evident  that  this  form  of  amusement 
could  not  be  suppressed. 

Some  of  the  earliest  entertainments  in  this 
city  were  given  in  a  large  brick  warehouse  in 
Water  Street  below  Pine,  owned  by  William 

78 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Plumsted.  After  the  building  of  the  Southwark 
Theatre,  in  1759,  the  New  American  Company 
brought  out  Thomas  Godfrey's  "  Prince  of 
Parthia,"  the  first  play  by  an  American  author 
performed  upon  a  regular  stage.  Another 
native  play  given  at  the  Southwark  Theatre  in 
Philadelphia  was  "  The  Widow  of  Malabar," 
written  by  Colonel  David  Humphreys,  for 
merly  aide-de-camp  to  General  Washington, 
who  represented  the  United  States  in  Portu 
gal  and  in  Spain  during  the  first  and  second 
administrations. 

Such  influential  citizens  as  Dr.  John  Red 
man,  General  Walter  Stewart,  Robert  Morris, 
James  Lyle,  Edward  Tilghman,  Thomas  Wil 
ling,  and  Charles  Biddle  were  so  much  in 
favor  of  the  play  that  they  signed  their  names 
to  a  counter  petition ;  and  when  the  corner 
stone  of  the  new  theatre  on  Chestnut  Street 
was  laid,  the  Honorable  Jared  Ingersoll  de 
livered  an  address  upon  the  occasion. 

This  theatre  was  the  one  that  excited  the 
admiration  of  Mr.  Wansey,  who  had  found, 
he  says,  a  very  bad  theatre  in  New  York. 
He  went  to  the  "  New  Theatre  "  in  Chestnut 
Street  to  see  Mrs.  Inchbald's  play,  "Every 
One  has  his  Faults,"  with  the  farce,  "  No 
Song,  No  Supper,"  and  came  away  delighted 
with  the  theatre,  the  audience,  and  the  acting. 

The  President  frequently  attended  the  play 
at  the  Southwark  and  at  the  New  Theatre, 
and  sometimes  indulged  in  going  to  Ricketts's 
Circus,  which  was  at  the  corner  of  Twelfth 

79 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  Market  Streets,  and  afterwards  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Sixth  and  Chestnut 
Streets.  Mr.  Ricketts,  who  was  a  superb 
equestrian,  rode  two  horses  for  the  amuse 
ment  of  the  company,  besides  treating  them 
to  performances  on  the  tight-rope  by  an  Italian 
acrobat.  General  Washington  helped  to  make 
this  circus  fashionable  by  attending  a  perform 
ance,  given  soon  after  it  was  opened,  for  the 
purpose  of  supplying  the  poor  of  the  city  with 
fuel.  An  entertainment  was  afterwards  given 
for  the  benefit  of  certain  needy  French  exiles 
who  came  to  Philadelphia. 

Although  the  "  Old  American  Company " 
gave,  at  the  Southwark  Theatre,  plays  of  so 
elevated  a  character  as  an  adaptation  of 
11  Hamlet,"  or  a  moral  and  instructive  tale 
called  "  Filial  Piety  Exemplified  in  the  His 
tory  of  the  Prince  of  Denmark,"  its  enter 
tainments  were  not  always  classic,  as  Robert 
son,  from  London,  sometimes  illustrated  the 
"  Antipodean  Whirligig,"  with  his  head  upon 
a  strong  table  and  his  feet  in  the  air;  and  upon 
one  occasion,  when  his  Excellency  and  his 
friends  were  present,  the  evening,  which  had 
begun  with  a  representation  of  "  The  Young 
Quaker;  or,  The  Fair  Philadelphian,"  ended 
with  a  spirited  leap  of  one  of  the  performers 
through  a  barrel  of  fire. 

A  more  sedate  and  instructive  place  of 
resort  was  Mr.  Peale's  Museum,  which  at 
this  time  occupied  a  room  in  the  building  of 
the  Philosophical  Society,  on  Fifth  Street. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Here  the  indefatigable  artist  and  scientist  had 
gathered  together  an  interesting  collection  of 
natural  objects,  which  he  afterwards  removed 
to  one  of  the  upper  rooms  of  the  State  House. 
In  these,  and  even  in  earlier,  days  Philadel 
phia  possessed  a  very  gay  and  fashionable 
circle,  despite  the  large  Quaker  element  in  its 
population,  and,  perhaps  in  consequence  of 
this  element,  was  distinguished  for  its  hos 
pitality  and  generous  living.  It  may  have  been 
the  English  characteristics  of  this  city,  so 
often  spoken  of  by  travellers  and  so  like  their 
native  Virginia,  whose  social  life  in  the  last 
century  was  said  to  be  "  more  English  than 
the  England  of  the  Georges,"  that  made  Phila 
delphia  a  congenial  residence  to  the  Presi 
dent  and  Mrs.  Washington.  Here  they  found 
a  formal  and  established  social  order,  which 
was  in  many  cases  united  with  great  sim 
plicity  and  sincerity.  This  combination,  which 
was,  of  course,  due  to  the  mingling  of  the 
Church  and  the  Quaker  elements  in  business 
and  in  society,  was  especially  suited  to  the 
Virginia  lady  and  gentleman,  who,  with  their 
thrifty  household  and  farming  habits,  pos 
sessed  a  strong  predilection  in  favor  of  a 
certain  amount  of  form  and  ceremony  in  pub 
lic  and  private  life.  Nor  was  it  the  gay  and 
fashionable  side  of  the  capital  that  was  most 
congenial  to  the  President  and  his  wife,  it  was 
rather  the  strongly  conservative  element  in  its 
life,  that  existed  then  in  a  far  greater  degree 
than  to-day. 

6  8x 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Among  the  families  of  leading  Quakers 
Washington  had  warm  friends,  nor  were 
these  men  likely  to  forget  that  when  some 
of  their  members  were  exiled  from  the  city 
which  their  ancestors  had  founded,  it  was  the 
Commander-in-Chief  at  Valley  Forge  who 
recommended  clemency  towards  them,  saying 
that  "humanity  pleaded  strongly  in  their 
behalf."  * 

Mrs.  Henry  Drinker,  who  with  her  friends 
was  allowed  to  pass  through  the  lines  to  visit 
her  exiled  husband,  expressed  a  certain  re 
strained  admiration  for  "  G.  Washington  &  his 
wife."  Mrs.  Washington,  who  entertained  the 
Quaker  ladies  in  her  quarters  at  Valley  Forge, 
was  spoken  of  by  Mrs.  Drinker  as  "  a  sociable 
pretty  kind  of  woman." 

Mrs.  George  Logan,  a  Quakeress  of  even 
more  cultivation  and  of  a  broader  mind  than 
Mrs.  Drinker,  spoke  of  General  Washington 
with  admiration  amounting  to  enthusiasm, 
finding  in  him  "  a  rare  and  perfect  pattern  of 
the  dignity  to  which  man  might  attain  by 
living  up  to  the  laws  of  virtue  and  honor,  his 
colossal  greatness  polished  and  adorned  with 
all  the  amenity  and  gentleness  which  delights 
and  endears  in  domestic  society." 

Miers  Fisher,  who  was  himself  one  of  those 
exiled  to  Virginia,  later  became  a  friend  of  the 
President,  was  visited  by  him  at  his  country- 
seat,  "  Ury,"  which  was  near  the  Fox  Chase, 

*  "  Exiles  to  Virginia,"  by  Thomas  Gilpin. 
82 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  is   said  to  have  presented  his  portrait  to 
the  Quaker  lawyer.* 

The  Quakers  who  were  sent  to  Virginia 
were  not  the  only  Philadelphians  who  had 
been  exiled  during  the  war.  The  Reverend 
Jacob  Duche  and  Mr.  Samuel  Shoemaker  found 
it  expedient  to  make  a  long  stay  in  England, 
where  they  led  a  much  more  agreeable  life 
than  if  they  had  remained  at  home.  Governor 
John  Penn  and  Chief-Justice  Benjamin  Chew 
were  arrested,  but  were  permitted  to  retire  to 
the  Union  Iron  Works  in  New  Jersey,  which 
were  partly  owned  by  Mrs.  Chew's  uncle, 
where  they  remained  prisoners  upon  parole 
for  more  than  a  year.  This  treatment  of  the 
late  Governor  of  the  Province  and  of  Mr. 
Chew  seems  to  have  been  as  unjust  as  that  of 
the  Friends,  as  no  overt  act  could  be  alleged 
against  either  of  them.  Mr.  Chew  had  signed 
the  Non-Importation  Agreements  of  1763,  as 
had  many  of  the  exiled  Friends,  and  during 
the  sessions  of  the  Continental  Congress  had 
hospitably  entertained  Colonel  Washington 
and  John  Adams,  while,  upon  the  authority  of 
Miers  Fisher,  he  is  said  to  have  distinctly 
stated,  when  questioned  by  a  juror  upon  what 
constituted  high  treason,  the  following  limita 
tions  :  "  But  in  the  moment  when  the  King  or 
his  Ministers  shall  exceed  the  constitutional 
authority  vested  in  them  by  the  Constitution, 


*  This  portrait,  by  James  Sharpies,  is  still  in  the  posses 
sion  of  the  descendants  of  Mr.  Fisher. 

83 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

submission  to  their  mandate  becomes  Trea 
son."*  The  head  and  front  of  Mr.  Chew's 
offending  seems  to  have  been  that  he  held 
important  positions  under  the  Crown.  The 
unpleasant  campaign  incidents  which  befell 
these  two  gentlemen  did  not  prevent  the  re 
newal  of  cordial  relations  between  them  and 
General  Washington.  When  the  latter  was  in 
Philadelphia  attending  the  Convention  of  1787, 
he  dined  and  drank  tea  with  Mr.  John  Penn 
at  Lansdowne,  with  Mr.  Chew  and  with  Dr. 
George  Logan  at  Stenton.  Later  the  Presi 
dent  gave  evidence  of  his  entire  confidence  in 
Mr.  Chew's  integrity  and  ability  by  appointing 
him  Judge  and  President  of  the  High  Court  of 
Errors  and  Appeals  in  Pennsylvania. 

On  Front  Street,  on  Second,  Third,  and 
Fourth  Streets,  and  upon  the  thoroughfares 
intersected  by  them,  from  Mulberry,  now  Arch, 
to  Cedar  Street,  beside  the  homes  of  the  Wil- 
lings,  Powels,  Whites,  Binghams,  McCalls, 
Shippens,  and  other  leading  Church  of  Eng 
land  families,  were  the  no  less  substantial 
and  comfortable,  if  less  showy,  homes  of  the 
Quaker  aristocracy.  The  owners  of  these 
houses  wore  plain  clothes  and  used  plain  lan 
guage,  yet  the  luxuries  of  life  and  some  of  its 
ornaments,  in  the  line  of  handsome  silver  and 
china,  seem  not  to  have  been  despised  by  these 
good  Friends.  Many  of  them  owned  coaches 

*<(The  Provincial  Councillors  of  Pennsylvania,"  by 
Charles  P.  Keith. 

84 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

drawn  by  fine  horses,  and  even  if,  like  Thomas 
Wharton,  they  named  such  a  vehicle,  in  all 
humility,  "a  convenience,"  a  coach  was  then 
deemed  an  even  greater  luxury  than  to-day. 
The  chariot  which  Mrs.  Washington  used 
during  her  residence  in  Philadelphia  had  been 
built  for  John  Penn  while  he  was  Governor 
of  the  Province,  and  is  described  as  a  very 
handsome  equipage,  of  a  delicate  cream  color, 
richly  decorated  with  gilt  medallions.  Mrs. 
James  Pemberton,  a  Friend,  drove  so  fine  a 
coach  that  General  Howe  confiscated  it  for 
his  own  use  while  in  Philadelphia. 

Another  luxury  indulged  in  by  Friends  at 
this  time,  and  even  earlier,  was  the  carpeting 
of  their  rooms,  which  custom  was  objected  to 
by  the  more  rigorous  of  the  sect.  Brissot  de 
Warville  cites  an  instance  of  a  Quaker  from 
Carolina  who  went  to  dine  with  an  opulent 
Philadelphia  Friend.  On  finding  the  passage 
from  the  door  to  the  staircase  covered  with 
carpet,  the  Carolina  Quaker  declined  to  enter 
the  house,  saying  that  he  never  dined  in  a 
house  where  there  was  luxury,  and  that  "it 
was  better  to  clothe  the  poor  than  to  clothe 
the  earth." 

Mrs.  John  Warder,  an  English  Friend,  who 
visited  Philadelphia  in  1786,  described  a  num 
ber  of  sumptuous  entertainments  at  Samuel 
Pleasant's,  John  Clifford's,  Billy  Morris's, 
whom  she  considered  something  of  an  epi 
cure,  at  George  Emlen's,  James  Pember- 
ton's,  and  at  the  house  of  Miers  and  Sally 

85 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Fisher,  both  of  whom  she  found  "truly  agree 
able,  observing  the  strictest  gentility  with  the 
Quaker."  At  some  of  these  dinners  and  sup 
pers  Mrs.  Warder  partook  of  the  unaccus 
tomed  terrapin,  which  she  described,  without 
enthusiasm,  as  "  a  small  kind  of  turtle."  In 
view  of  the  frequent  onslaughts  that  Mrs. 
Warder  records  upon  green-turtle  soup,  boned 
turkey,  roast  pig,  venison,  oysters,  and  all 
manner  of  home-made  pastry  and  sweets,  in 
the  preparation  of  which  the  Colonial  lady 
excelled,  it  is  not  strange  that  John  Warder 
should  have  been  laid  up  with  the  gout  during 
some  days  of  his  visit,  or  that  his  wife  should 
have  reached  the  conclusion  that  Philadelphia 
Friends  were  more  superb  in  their  entertain 
ments  than  in  England. 

From  the  stand-point  of  an  English  Friend, 
Mrs.  Warder  freely  criticized  the  costumes  of 
Philadelphia  members  of  the  Society,  and  did 
not  hesitate  to  remark,  that  to  see  "  an  old 
man  stand  up  in  meeting,  with  a  mulberry 
coat,  nankeen  waistcoat  and  breeches,  with 
white  stockings,  would  look  singular  in  Eng 
land ;"  while  some  of  the  women's  costumes 
seemed  to  her  "inconsistent."  Mrs.  Warder 
was,  herself,  remonstrated  with  by  an  intimate 
friend  for  indulging  in  "  a  whalebone  bonnet," 
which,  for  some  reason,  was  considered  more 
worldly  than  pasteboard,  but  was  comforted 
by  knowing  that  her  cap  was  the  "  admiration 
of  grave  and  gay."  The  English  lady  does 
not  state  in  detail  the  difference  between  her 

86 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

own  dress  and  that  of  Philadelphia  Friends, 
but  she  frankly  confesses  in  one  place  that, 
although  Nancy  Emlen's  mind  appears  to  be 
"  a  perfect  symmetry  of  heavenly  love,"  her 
own  poor  mind  would  have  to  go  "  through 
severe  conflicts  "  to  submit  to  the  dress  worn 
by  her  and  others,  which  was  "  all  brown 
except  her  cap,  which  was  coarse  muslin 
without  either  border  or  strings."  Despite 
her  unbecoming  costume,  Mrs.  Emlen  was 
evidently  fair  to  look  upon,  as  Mrs.  Warder 
acknowledged  that  she  had  "  all  Becky  Gur- 
ney's  sweetness  of  countenance,  with  a  taller 
and  more  agreeable  person. ' 

Rather  dull,  the  lives  of  the  young  Friends 
seem  to  us,  when  compared  with  those  of 
their  gayer  sisters  and  brothers  in  the  Christ 
Church  and  St.  Peter's  circle ;  yet  they  made 
the  most  of  their  small  gayeties  in  the  way  of 
weddings  and  Yearly  Meetings,  and  were  prob 
ably  quite  as  happy  as  the  rest  of  the  world. 
These  latter  occasions  came  to  be,  in  a  cer 
tain  sense,  important  social  events,  when  the 
mothers  of  families  attended  to  their  visiting 
and  shopping  and  the  boys  and  girls  exchanged 
news,  confidences,  and  sometimes  hearts,  as 
many  Friendly  marriages  grew  out  of  the  meet 
ing  of  young  Quakers  at  their  yearly  reunions. 
The  letters  of  the  girls  of  the  time  to  their 
friends,  and  to  and  from  their  lovers,  are  full 
of  the  simple  pleasures  of  their  lives  and  the 
innocent  gossip  of  their  little  world.  A  favorite 
device  of  these  young  creatures  was  to  write 

87 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

to  their  intimate  friends  under  assumed  names  ; 
consequently,  these  plain  Sallies,  Hannahs, 
and  Deborahs  appeared  in  their  letters  as 
Juliets,  Babettes,  Clarissas,  and  Belindas, 
while  their  devoted  swains  replied  to  them 
over  such  wicked  or  worldly  signatures  as 
Lothario,  Orlando,  Lysander,  Philario,  and 
Strephon.  The  language  of  love  then,  as  now, 
knew  no  law.  A  Friendly  lover  who  wrote 
upon  one  page  of  his  diary  most  discreetly  of 
the  "  solid  and  edifying  conversation  "  of  his 
beloved,  upon  the  next  sighs  like  a  Shake 
spearian  sonneteer  over  the  apparent  coldness 
of  his  fair  "  charmer." 

When  Elizabeth  Drinker's  daughter  Molly 
ran  off  with  Samuel  Rhoads,  what  a  stir 
and  flutter  there  must  have  been  in  all  the 
Quaker  dove-cotes!  Yet,  after  reading  a  de 
scription  of  a  proper  Friend's  wedding,  with 
its  prolonged  passings  of  meeting  and  baldly 
simple  service,  it  does  not  seem  strange  that 
young  people  should  sometimes  have  taken 
matters  into  their  own  hands  and  applied  to 
the  mayor  for  a  legal  sanction  of  their  happi 
ness. 

John  Smith,  who  married  Hannah,  a  daugh 
ter  of  the  first  James  Logan,  thus  described 
the  wedding  of  James  Pemberton,  a  brother  of 
Israel,  who  was  called  "  King  of  the  Quakers." 
"  Rode  home  in  the  morning  and  fitted  out  my 
four  wheel  chaise  to  bring  some  of  Jemmy 
Pemberton's  wedding  guests  to  meeting — was 
at  the  meeting  which  was  large  and  solid — 
88 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mord[ecai]  Yarnall  and  Eliza  Hudson  preached, 
H.  M.  Y.  prayed,  then  Jemmy  Pemberton  was 
married." 

The  bride's  name  is  not  mentioned  in  this 
simple  record  of  an  all-important  event ;  but 
it  is  evident  that  this  was  Hannah  Lloyd,  the 
first  of  James  Pemberton's  three  wives,  as 
John  Smith  speaks  of  "spending  the  evening 
at  Hannah  Lloyd's  with  the  new  married 
couple/'  this  being  the  only  festivity  recorded. 

A  more  cheerful  Friend's  wedding  was  that 
of  Elliston  Perot,  which  was  described  in 
detail  by  Mrs.  Warder,  for  the  benefit  of  her 
English  relatives :  "  A  pouring  wet  night  and 
dull  morning  presented  but  a  bad  prospect  for 
Elliston  Perot's  wedding  guests.  However, 
we  having  the  use  of  George  Emlen's  carriage, 
it  was  not  of  much  consequence  to  us,  further 
than  getting  into  meeting  to  which  there  were 
not  less  than  a  dozen  steps  from  the  street  and 
these  in  bad  weather  so  muddy  as  to  be  quite 
uncomfortable.  Met  at  the  door  Richard  and 
Nancy  Vaux.  When  we  got  in  found  most  of 
the  wedding  company  there.  Cousin  Betsy 
Roberts  first  said  a  few  words,  then  honest 
Robert  Wills,  after  which  Betsy  appeared  in 
supplication,  then  was  followed  by  a  long 
and  fine  testimony  by  William  Savery.  After 
which  the  bride  and  groom  performed,  the 
latter  exceedingly  well  and  the  former  not  very 
badly.  Meeting  early  closed,  at  least  when 
the  pair  had  signed  and  certificate  was  read, 
the  woman  taking  upon  her  her  husband's 

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name.  We  went  to  Elliston's  house  but  little 
distance  from  the  meeting  and  I  soon  felt  very 
comfortable  with  several  of  my  old  acquaint 
ances,  among  them  Abijah  and  Sally  Dawes, 
John  and  Anna  Clifford  with  many  others,  in 
all  48. 

"  We  were  ushered  up  stairs  where  were 
bedrooms  in  order,  to  receive  us,  having  fires 
in  most  part  of  the  house. 

"Cake  and  wine  were  early  handed  the 
Bride's  brother  Joey  Sansom  brought  the  lat 
ter  in  two  decanters  on  a  waiter  with  Bitters 
and  glasses,  his  sister  going  to  take  some  an 
accident  happened  that  spilt  it  all  over  her 
wedding  garment,  for  which  I  felt  much  less 
than  for  the  poor  young  man  whose  embar 
rassment  was  very  great.  Our  next  disaster 
proved  a  discovery  that  the  black  paint  off  the 
scirting  board  in  every  part  of  the  house  came 
off.  Some  gowns  looked  almost  ruined  but  I 
did  not  thoroughly  examine  mine,  not  wishing 
to  be  made  uneasy  about  anything  of  the  kind. 
At  2  o'clock  we  were  summoned  down  to 
dinner,  time  having  passed  till  then  in  agree 
able  conversation,  all  very  sociable,  though 
some,  and  indeed  many  entire  strangers  to 
me,  till  from  enquiring  I  found  who  they  were, 
and  discovered  most  related  to  some  I  was 
acquainted  with. 

"  All  the  Company  sat  at  one  horse-shoe 
table  except  cousins  John  Head,  Jacob  Down 
ing,  and  Billy  Sansom,  who  were  groomsmen 
and  waited  on  us. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

"  The  bridesmaids  were  Sally  Drinker,*  her 
Cousin  Betty  Drinker,  and  a  young  woman 
named  Sykes.  Jacob  Downing  has  long  courted 
the  former  and  it  is  now  likely  to  be  a  match 
in  the  Spring,  report  says.  She  is  a  very 
cheerful,  clever  girl  and  he  an  agreeable  young 
man. 

"  We  had  a  plentiful  plain  entertainment, 
almost  all  things  that  the  season  provided. 
After  being  all  satisfied  we  adjourned  up  stairs 
and  chatted  away  the  afternoon,  moving  from 
one  room  to  another  as  inclination  took  us. 

"The  young  folks  were  innocently  cheerful 
and  the  old  ones  not  less  so. 

"  They  made  tea  in  another  room  and  sent 
to  us.  About  9  we  were  called  to  supper, 
which  was  mostly  the  fragments,  with  the  ad 
dition  of  a  few  hot  partridges,  less  pastry  and 
such  like  than  I  have  ever  seen  on  such  occa 
sions.  After  all  had  sufficiently  satisfied  them 
selves,  a  general  remove  took  place  and  the 
house  soon  seemed  cleared. 

"  Sally  Dawes  went  with  us  in  Sally  Em- 
len's  carriage  and  so  to  her  home.  We  sat 
down  and  related  some  particulars  and  then 
retired. 

"The  next  day  Lydia,  Sally,  Nelly  Parker, 
Hannah  Wills  and  myself  calling  for  Sucky 
Head  went  to  visit  the  bride.  We  were  first 

*  Sally  Drinker  was  a  daughter  of  Elizabeth,  the  diarist, 
from  whose  record  we  learn  that  the  course  of  Jacob 
Downing's  true  love  ran  smooth,  as  he  "spoke  to  H.  D. 
on  account  of  Sally,"  and  they  were  married  May  15, 1787. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ushered  into  the  small  parlor  to  take  off  our 
bonnets,  for  which  purpose  the  bridesmaids 
and  groomsmen  attended,  when  the  latter 
handed  each  of  us  up  to  the  bride  with  a  great 
deal  of  form. 

"  We  then  seated  ourselves ;  about  ten  had 
got  there  before  us,  and  in  an  hour  we  mus 
tered  full  forty,  many  that  I  knew  Polly  and 
Molly  Sykes,  Sally  Rawle,  Peggy  Wharton, 
Nancy  Drinker,  Sally  Pleasants,  Sally  Gilpi^ 
her  brother  Joshua,  Isaac  Pleasants,  Gideon 
Wills,  Jerry  and  Richard  Parker,  with  many 
others.  There  was  a  freedom  and  ease  in 
most  of  the  Company  that  destroyed  every 
idea  of  form. 

"  The  conversation  was  not  general,  but 
dividing  into  little  parties  all  seemed  lively. 
Tea  was  made  and  handed  after  which  the 
three  young  women  in  office  joined  us.  The 
men  assisting  to  wait  were  also  at  liberty  to 
chat  with  the  rest  after  that  was  over.  Sally 
conducted  herself  very  becoming  and  with 
great  ease,  moving  her  seat  repeatedly  to  con 
verse  amongst  us  all. 

"  This  ceremony  lasting  a  week  must  be 
very  fatiguing,  and  I  should  think  very  dis 
agreeable  to  both  Bride  and  Groom,  but  cus 
toms  long  established  are  not  very  easy  broke 
through." 

Mrs.  Warder's  chronicle  is  valuable,  not 
only  because  it  gives  a  faithful  picture  of  the 
life  of  the  time,  but  also  because  it  proves  that 
a  considerable  amount  of  form  and  ceremony 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

was  observed  by  Friends,  even  if  their  usages 
were  not  those  of  the  gay  world. 

Another  wedding  feast,  and  one  that  caused 
Mrs.  Warder  some  scruples  of  conscience, 
was  given  by  Dr.  James  Hutchinson.  At  first 
the  Friendly  lady  hesitated,  as  Dr.  Hutchin 
son  had  been  married  to  his  Quaker  bride  by 
a  priest ;  but,  being  fond  of  seeing  life  in  the 
New  World,  and  finding  that  "  others  made 
no  distinction — calling  the  first  three  morn 
ings  to  drink  punch  with  the  groom,  and  the 
next  week  drinking  tea  with  the  bride,"  Mrs. 
Warder  attended  the  dinner.  Here  she  found 
a  large  company,  a  superb  entertainment,  and 
afterwards  enjoyed  a  spirited  discussion  upon 
dress,  which  goes  to  prove  that  even  the  garb 
of  a  Quaker  woman  may  afford  food  for  con 
versation. 

This  marriage  of  Dr.  Hutchinson  to  a  sweet 
girl  *  many  years  younger  than  himself,  and 
that  of  Margaret  Rawle  to  Isaac  Wharton,  he 
being  "  full  double  her  age,  and  she  esteemed 
one  of  tlie  best  girls  here,"  caused  Mrs. 
Warder  to  reflect  seriously  upon  "the  pitch 
they  are  got  to  for  husbands  in  this  country  ;  " 
nor  does  the  fact  that  Dr.  Hutchinson  and  Mr. 
Wharton  were  redeemed  from  their  "  des 
picable  state "  of  bachelorhood  by  this  step 

*  The  "  sweet  girl,"  to  whom  Dr.  Hutchinson  was  mar 
ried  in  1786,  was  Sydney  Howeli,  his  second  wife.  Dr. 
Hutchinson's  first  wife  was  Lydia  Biddle,  a  sister  of  Col 
onel  Clement  Biddle. 

93 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

reconcile  Mrs.  "Warder  to  the  discrepancy  in 
age  of  these  couples. 

Marriages  "  out  of  meeting "  were  every 
year  becoming  more  frequent,  which  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at,  as  the  Quaker  girls  were 
described  by  all  travellers  as  lovely  and  charm 
ing.  Monsieur  de  Liancourt  wrote  of  them  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  century :  "  Gay  colours 
please  the  young  Quaker  ladies ;  and  are  in 
deed  great  enemies  of  the  sect.  The  toilette 
is  the  subject  of  much  uneasiness  to  the  old 
people,  whether  prohibited  or  tolerated  by 
them.  But  whether  prohibited  or  not,  the 
young  and  handsome  Quaker-girls  will  sacri 
fice  to  the  toilette,  and  call  themselves  Half- 
Quakers  ;  and  it  must  be  confessed,  they  are 
the  greatest  favourites  with  our  sex." 

Despite  the  endearing  charms  of  young 
Quakeresses,  Governor  John  Penn,  grandson 
of  the  Proprietary,  married  Miss  Ann  Allen, 
a  daughter  of  William  Allen,  Chief  Justice  of 
the  Province,  whose  connection  with  the  Ham- 
iltons,  added  to  the  prominent  position  of  her 
own  family,  made  her  a  most  desirable  parti. 
Mrs.  John  Penn  is  described  by  an  uncle  of 
her  husband  as  possessing  "  good  sense,  great 
sweetness  of  temper,  and  prudence,"  to  which 
may  be  added,  if  we  may  trust  contempora 
neous  descriptions,  a  fair  share  of  good  looks. 
This  combination  of  attractions  seems  more 
than  Governor  John  Penn  had  reason  to  ex 
pect,  his  early  life  having  been  clouded  by  a 
mesalliance,  or  what  his  family  chose  to  consider 

94 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

as  such,  while  his  personal  appearance  as  de 
scribed  in  a  letter  of  the  time  does  not  seem 
to  have  been  impressive.  George  Roberts,  in 
a  letter  to  Samuel  Powel,  then  in  London, 
writes  :  "  His  honor  Penn  is  a  little  gentleman, 
though  he  may  govern  equal  to  one  seven  foot 
high." 

Richard  Penn,  who  was  a  far  greater  favorite 
in  Pennsylvania  than  his  brother  John,  had  so 
far  renounced  Quakerism  as  to  become  the  first 
President  of  the  Jockey  Club,  and  to  be  married 
at  Christ  Church  to  Miss  Polly  Masters.  Miss 
Masters,  who  was  only  a  little  over  sixteen  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage,  in  May,  1772,  was 
living  with  her  mother  in  her  home  on  the 
south  side  of  Market,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
Streets.  This  house,  which  Mrs.  Masters 
conveyed  to  her  daughter  two  days  before  her 
marriage,  was  afterwards  occupied  by  General 
Howe,  and  later  by  General  Benedict  Arnold, 
by  the  French  Consul,  M.  Holker,  and  by 
Robert  Morris,  who  bought  the  house  some 
time  prior  to  1787.*  During  the  sessions  of 
the  Convention  of  1787,  General  Washington 
stayed  with  Mr.  Morris  in  this  house,  and 
when  the  seat  of  government  was  removed 
from  New  York  to  Philadelphia,  it  was  con 
sidered  the  most  suitable  building  in  the  city 
for  the  residence  of  the  Chief  Executive,  al- 

*A  fire  broke  out  in  this  house  in  1780,  during  M. 
Holker's  residence,  and  nothing  but  the  first  floor  was 
saved.  After  Mr.  Morris  bought  the  hause,  he  rebuilt  and 
enlarged  it. 

95 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

though  Mr.  Twining  described  it  as  "  a  small 
red  brick  house  next  door  to  a  hair-dresser." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  occupied  a  house  at  the 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Market,  on  the  same  side 
of  the  street. 

Although  the  President  and  his  private  sec 
retary,  Mr.  Tobias  Lear,  had  entered  into  an 
apparently  exhaustive  correspondence  upon 
the  furnishing  of  this  establishment,  from 
drawing-room  mirrors  to  mangles  for  the 
kitchen,  there  were  doubtless  many  matters 
of  household  and  domestic  economy  that  re 
mained  to  be  discussed  by  Mrs.  Washington 
and  Mrs.  Morris.  Mrs.  Washington  had  com 
plained  in  her  letters  of  the  restraints  of  her 
life  in  New  York  ;  but  in  her  letters  from  Phila 
delphia  we  find  no  such  expressions.  In  addi 
tion  to  the  men  and  women  who  had  come  to 
the  capital  with  the  administration,  the  Presi 
dent  and  Mrs.  Washington  numbered  many 
friends  among  the  resident  population  of  Phila 
delphia. 

Chief  among  their  friends  were  the  members 
of  the  Morris  family.  The  President  and  Robert 
Morris  had  been  fast  friends  during  the  long 
war,  and  to  him  and  his  partner,  Mr.  Thomas 
Willing,  the  Commander-in-Chief  had  often 
turned  for  aid  when  the  financial  resources  of 
the  Congress  were  at  the  lowest  ebb.  For  both 
of  these  gentlemen  the  President  entertained 
a  sincere  regard,  while  Mrs.  Washington  and 
Mrs.  Morris  in  this  time  of  peace  renewed 
their  friendship  formed  during  the  anxious  days 

96 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  the  Revolution.  These  two  ladies  seem  to 
have  been  most  congenial  in  their  tastes, 
visiting  one  another  informally  and  frequently 
driving  together,  while  the  young  people  of 
the  two  families  were  upon  intimate  terms. 

Mrs.  Washington's  granddaughter,  Nellie 
Custis,  was  always  with  her,  and  at  times  her 
two  elder  grandchildren,  Eliza  and  Martha 
Parke  Custis.  In  a  letter  written  April  5,  1795, 
Mrs.  Washington  says  that  the  girls  were  going 
to  Miss  Morris's  wedding  the  next  Thursday. 
This  was  Hetty  Morris,  the  eldest  daughter  of 
Robert  Morris,  who  married  James  Marshall, 
of  Virginia,  a  brother  of  Chief-Justice  Mar 
shall. 

The  fair  faces  of  Hetty  Morris  and  her  sister 
Maria,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Henry  Nixon, 
have  been  preserved  for  this  generation  by  the 
brush  of  Stuart.  This  portrait  represents  two 
girls  seated  before  a  chess-board,  from  which 
their  eyes  have  wandered  to  look  out  from  the 
canvas,  with  the  innocence  and  serene  hope 
fulness  of  girlhood,  which  are  amo'rtg  its  pecu 
liar  charms,  and  which  Stuart  knew  so  well 
how  to  portray. 

The  Treasurer  of  the  United  States,  Samuel 
Meredith,  lived  nearly  opposite  the  State 
House,  at  171  Chestnut  Street.  An  old  friend 
ship  existed  between  the  President  and  the 
Meredith  family,  and  while  in  Philadelphia, 
before  the  Revolution,  attending  the  meetings 
of  the  Jockey  Club,  Washington  had  stopped 
with  Mr.  Reese  Meredith,  the  father  of  Samuel 
7  97 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Meredith,  and  in  a  letter  written  by  Mrs. 
Meredith  to  her  husband  some  years  earlier 
she  says :  "  General  Washington  invited  him 
self  to  breakfast  with  me  yesterday.  Tom 
and  the  girls  were  at  table,  and  behaved  ex 
tremely  well.  It  is  observed  the  General  is 
very  grave.  I  do  not  wonder  at  it.  A  man 
of  his  reflection  must  feel  strongly  our  present 
unhappy  situation."  This  letter  was  evidently 
written  during  the  sessions  of  the  Convention 
of  1787,  when  General  Washington  is  said  to 
have  been,  at  times,  greatly  discouraged  with 
regard  to  the  result  of  its  deliberations.  In 
the  letter,  which  is  chiefly  taken  up  with 
family  matters,  Mrs.  Meredith  speaks  of  the 
strict  economy  that  she  is  exercising  in  order 
to  give  her  children  educational  advantages. 
This  need  for  economy  was  probably  due  to 
the  depreciation  of  the  Continental  currency, 
as  General  Meredith  had  advanced  large  sums 
of  money  for  the  support  of  the  government 
during  the  Revolution,  and  was  one  of  the  chief 
contributors  to  the  Bank  of  North  America. 
These  loans  are  said  to  have  amounted  to 
$140,000. 

In  a  diary,  kept  during  his  visit  to  Philadel 
phia  in  1787,  General  Washington  recorded 
many  tea-drinkings  and  evenings  spent  at  the 
Merediths'.  Although  not  generally  spoken  of 
as  sociable  in  his  tastes,  Washington  seems  to 
have  been  somewhat  addicted  to  tea-drinkings, 
as  during  this  visit  we  find  frequent  mention 
of  drinking  tea  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel 

98 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Powel,  with  Mr.  Tench  Francis,  "  in  a  large 
circle,"  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawrence,  Mr. 
George  Clymer,  Mr.  Francis  Hopkinson,  Miss 
Cadwalader,  and  at  Dr.  Shippen's  "with  Mrs. 
Livingston's  party."  * 

The  Washington  chariot  was  often  to  be 
seen  on  its  way  to  Lansdowne  to  the  Penns 
and  afterwards  to  visit  the  Binghams  in  the 
same  place,  or  to  Belmont,  the  country-seat 
of  Judge  Peters.  Most  cordial  relations  ex 
isted  between  the  Washington  family  and  the 
Chews,  the  younger  daughters  of  the  house 
being  especial  favorites  of  the  President  and 
Mrs.  Washington.  The  former,  in  his  Phila 
delphia  diary  of  1787,  recorded  that  he  "dined 
at  Mrs.  Chew's  with  the  wedding  guests." 
This  was  the  wedding  of  Miss  Peggy  Chew, 
who  married  Colonel  John  Eager  Howard,  of 
Maryland.  Mr.  Benjamin  Chew  was  then 
living  at  no  South  Third  Street. 

Other  friends  of  the  President  and  Mrs. 
Washington,  living  on  Third  Street,  were 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  John  Cox,  of  Bloomsbury, 
New  Jersey.  Colonel  Cox  had  rendered  good 
service  to  the  Continental  Army  as  Assistant 
Quartermaster  under  General  Greene,  the 
latter  having  made  the  appointment  of  John 
Cox  and  Charles  Pettit  to  serve  under  him  a 
condition  of  his  acceptance  of  the  position  of 


*  This  was  Dr.  William  Shippen's  daughter,  Anne  Hume 
Shippen,  who  married  Henry  Beekman  Livingston,  of  New 
York,  a  son  of  Robert  R.  Livingston. 

99 


SALONS      COLONIAL      &     REPUBLICAN 

Quartermaster-General.  Colonel  Cox  not  only 
helped  to  provision  the  patriot  army,  but  also 
supplied  it  with  a  large  amount  of  ordnance 
from  his  foundry  at  Batisto,  New  Jersey.  At 
his  country-seat  near  Bloomsbury,  General 
Washington  had  his  head-quarters  for  a  time, 
and  here  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  and  Ro- 
chambeau  also  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  Col 
onel  Cox's  home,  where  they  had  the  pleasure 
of  conversing  in  their  own  language  with  Mrs. 
Cox's  French  aunts,  the  Demoiselles  Cheva 
lier. 

Colonel  Cox  brought  his  family  to  Philadel 
phia  about  1791,  and  in  this  city  Mrs.  Cox  was 
greatly  beloved  and  admired.  One  evening, 
at  a  ball,  a  gentleman  said  to  Colonel  Cox, 
indicating  a  young  matron  in  the  company, 
"Who  is  that  angel  of  a  woman?"  "My 
wife,"  promptly  replied  the  proud  husband. 
Upon  one  occasion,  when  Bishop  White  met 
Mrs.  Cox  upon  the  street,  he  said,  quite 
seriously,  "  Did  you  know,  my  dear  madam, 
that  a  woe  was  pronounced  upon  you  in  the 
Bible  ?  "  The  fair  lady  appearing  rather  sur 
prised,  the  genial  Bishop  added,  "  Woe  unto 
you  when  all  men  speak  well  of  you." 

The  home  of  Judge  Peters,  at  Belmont, 
which  was  situated  upon  a  high  bluff  over 
looking  the  Schuylkill,  was  a  frequent  resort 
of  the  President.  The  society  of  this  versa 
tile  and  humorous  jurist,  whose  witty  sayings 
as  well  as  his  substantial  aid  had  served  to 
brighten  some  of  the  darkest  hours  of  the  war, 

100 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

was  most  agreeable  to  Washington,  who,  de 
spite  his  habitual  gravity,  thoroughly  enjoyed 
a  joke. 

The  Marquis  de  Chastellux  described  a 
dinner  at  Mr.  James  Wilson's,  where  Mr. 
Peters,  then  Secretary  of  War,  was  the  life  of 
the  circle,  singing  songs  of  his  own  composi 
tion  and  "  an  Italian  cantabik "  with  equal 
charm.  Judge  Peters  perpetrated  many  bon- 
mots,  but  none  of  his  own  sayings  were  more 
incisive  than  a  speech  made  about  him  when  he 
went  to  London,  as  one  of  the  delegates  sent 
by  the  General  Convention  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  to  confer  with  the  English 
bishops  with  regard  to  granting  the  episcopacy 
to  the  new  States.  It  appears  that  Mr.  Peters 
was  frequently  the  spokesman  for  the  delega 
tion,  and  one  of  the  bishops  said  in  alluding  to 
their  conferences,  "  We  found  him  a  delight 
ful  companion,  a  most  well-bred  gentleman, 
an  accomplished  scholar,  and  extremely  well 
informed  on  every  possible  subject,  except 
upon  the  one  for  which  he  came  to  England." 
That  this  delegation  succeeded  in  its  object 
redounds  to  the  credit  of  the  learned  jurist, 
who  spoke  well,  even  if  he  was  not  informed 
upon  all  points  of  divinity.  Of  Judge  Peters, 
it  was  said  in  this  connection  that  he  was, 
like  Lord  Eldon,  one  of  the  buttresses  of  the 
church,  rather  than  one  of  the  pillars,  giving 
his  support  from  the  outside. 

During  Mr.  Peters's  visit  to  England  he  dined 
at   Mr.   Adams's,   who   was    then  in   London 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

representing  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Adams 
handed  him  some  letters  when  he  entered  the 
drawing-room,  and  described  him  as  carrying 
them  to  the  light,  breaking  the  seals,  and  ex 
claiming  as  he  threw  them  on  the  table,  "  Not 
one  from  my  wife !  I  have  lost  two  letters 
from  her.  The  devil !  I  would  rather  have 
found  two  lines  from  her  than  ten  folios  from 
anyone  else." 

This  little  story  goes  to  prove  that  Mr. 
Peters  was  very  much  attached  to  the  pretty 
Quaker  girl  whom  he  had  married  during  the 
war.  This  young  lady,  Miss  Sally  Robinson, 
was  a  ward  of  General  Anthony  Wayne,  and 
when  he  wrote  to  her  in  August,  1776,  asking 

whether  he  should  address  her  as  "  Miss ," 

or  by  the  fond  familiar  name  she  once  was 
known  by,  she  promptly  replied  that  when  he 
wrote  his  letter  it  was  "  Miss,"  but  in  the 
interim  it  had  been  changed  to  something 
else,  and  that  she  was  as  violent  a  Whig  as 
he  could  wish,  "  which,"  she  added,  "  you  will 
not  be  surprised  at  when  you  recolect  with 
whome  I  have  engaged  to  tread  the  Chequer'd 
paths  of  life,  his  [Mr.  Peters's]  sentiments  is 
well  known,  and  had  I  been  a  tory  it  would  be 
in  his  power  to  convert  me,  but  that  you  know 
I  never  was." 

Another  genial  humorist,  some  years  older 
than  Judge  Peters,  was  Francis  Hopkinson, 
who  was  appointed  by  the  President  one  of 
the  Judges  for  the  district  of  Pennsylvania. 
This  position  Mr.  Hopkinson  held  but  a  short 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

time,  as  he  died  early  in  the  administration. 
His  son,  Joseph  Hopkinson,  the  author  of 
"  Hail  Columbia,"  was  later  given  a  similar 
position  by  President  John  Quincy  Adams. 
Mr.  Joseph  Hopkinson  was  upon  terms  of 
great  intimacy  with  Mr.  Hamilton  and  with 
his  successor  in  the  Treasury,  Oliver  Wolcott, 
after  whom  he  named  one  of  his  sons.  In 
speaking  of  delightful  evenings  passed  at  Mr. 
Wolcott's,  Judge  Hopkinson  said,  "  When  I 
mention  such  names  as  Ellsworth,  Ames, 
Griswold,  Goodrich,  and  Tracy,  you  may 
imagine  what  a  rich,  intellectual  society  it 
was.  I  will  not  say  that  we  have  no  such 
men  now,  but  I  do  not  know  where  they  are." 

Miss  Sally  McKean,  the  daughter  of  Chief- 
Justice  McKean,  wrote  with  enthusiasm  of 
Mrs.  Washington's  first  reception  in  Phila 
delphia,  held  on  Christmas  night ;  and  Mrs. 
John  Adams  has  left  one  of  her  brilliant  pen- 
pictures  of  the  same  scene. 

In  her  first  letter  written  from  the  capital, 
Mrs.  Adams  was  inclined  to  depreciate  the 
social  attractions  of  Philadelphia  in  com 
parison  with  those  of  New  York  ;  she  after 
wards  spoke  with  great  admiration  of  the 
society  of  the  Quaker  City.  Perhaps  Mrs. 
Adams's  earlier  letters  from  Bush  Hill  were 
colored  by  the  discomfort  of  her  surroundings. 
She  described  herself  as  living  in  a  house, 
11  green  painted,"  at  which  the  painters  were 
still  at  work  when  she  arrived,  with  no  fire 
except  in  the  kitchen.  Mrs.  Adams's  woes, 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

which  were  evidently  real  and  tangible  ones, 
can  be  best  understood  from  her  own  ex 
pressions  : 

"  On  Friday  we  arrived  here,  and  late  on 
Saturday  evening  we  got  our  furniture  in.  On 
Sunday,  Thomas  was  laid  up  with  the  rheu 
matism  ;  on  Monday,  I  was  obliged  to  give 
Louisa  an  emetic  ;  on  Tuesday,  Mrs.  Briesler 
was  taken  with  her  old  pain  in  her  stomach ; 
and,  to  complete  the  whole,  on  Thursday, 
Polly  was  seized  with  a  violent  pleuritic  fever. 
She  has  been  twice  bled,  a  blister  upon  her 
side,  and  has  not  been  out  of  bed  since,  only 
as  she  is  taken  up  to  have  her  bed  made. 

"  And  every  day,  the  stormy  ones  excepted, 
from  eleven  until  three,  the  house  is  filled  with 
ladies  and  gentlemen." 

Mrs.  Adams  adds  that  Mrs.  Tobias  Lear, 
wife  of  one  of  the  President's  secretaries,  has 
just  called  to  see  her  and  administered  the 
cold  comfort  of  telling  her  that  she  was  better 
off  than  Mrs.  Washington  would  be  when 
she  arrived,  as  the  additions  to  her  house 
would  not  be  completed  for  a  year.  Last,  but 
not  least,  Mrs.  Adams  had  several  of  her  best 
gowns  ruined  on  the  voyage  from  Boston, 
"the  blessed  effects  of  tumbling  about  the 
world.  Poor  Mrs.  Knox,"  she  says,  "  is  in 
still  greater  tribulation,  as  the  vessel  which 
sailed  with  her  furniture  on  board  has  not 
been  heard  of,  although  considerably  overdue." 

After  thus  freely  pouring  out  her  sorrows 
to  her  sympathizing  daughter,  Mrs.  Adams 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

assures  her  that  she  endures  all  these  dis 
comforts  without  repining,  and  frequently 
emerges  from  the  confusion  of  her  household 
to  enjoy  visits  from  Mrs.  Bingham,  Nancy 
Hamilton,  and  Mrs.  Otis.  She  says  that  she 
is  thankful  to  have  a  decent  room  in  which  to 
receive  these  ladies,  and  is  pleased  to  find  Mrs. 
Bingham  more  amiable  and  beautiful  than  ever, 
while  "our  Nancy  Hamilton  is  the  same  un 
affected  affable  girl  we  formerly  knew  her."  * 

A  few  weeks  later  Mrs.  Adams  wrote  of  a 
dance  at  the  Chews',  a  supper  at  Mr.  Clymer's, 
and  various  festivities,  including  an  Assembly 
ball,  attended  by  "the  President  and  Madam, 
the  Vice-President  and  Madam,  Ministers  of 
State  and  their  Madams,  etc."  "  I  should," 
she  says,  "  spend  a  very  dissipated  winter, 
if  I  were  to  accept  of  one-half  the  invitations 
I  receive,  particularly  to  the  routes,  and  tea 
and  cards.  Even  Saturday  evening  is  not 
excepted,  and  I  refused  an  invitation  of  that 
kind  for  this  evening." 

*  This  was  Ann  Hamilton,  daughter  of  the  third  Andrew 
Hamilton  and  his  Jewish  wife,  Abigail  Franks,  and  great- 
granddaughter  of  the  counsellor,  whose  able  and  brilliant 
defence  of  the  liberty  of  the  press  in  the  John  Peter 
Zenger  trial,  in  New  York,  made  proverbial  the  ability  of 
the  Philadelphia  lawyer.  Miss  Ann  Hamilton  became  the 
wife  of  James  Lyle,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1792.  Although 
the  Hamilton  name  has  disappeared  from  Philadelphia 
life,  the  family  is  still  represented  by  Mrs.  James  Lyle's 
descendants  under  the  names  of  Morris,  Kuhn,  Evans, 
and  Mahan  in  America,  and  in  England  by  Becketts, 
Bruces,  and  Whichcotes. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Although  this  daughter  of  the  Puritans  was 
opposed  to  festivities  on  Saturday  evenings, 
she  was  not  averse  to  theatre-going,  as  she 
wrote  that  the  managers  had  very  civilly 
placed  a  box  at  the  disposal  of  the  Vice- 
President  which  he  had  promised  to  use 
whenever  the  President  wished  to  attend  the 
theatre.  "  Last  Wednesday,"  Mrs.  Adams 
says,  "we  were  all  there.  The  house  is 
equal  to  most  of  the  theatres  we  meet  with 
out  of  France.  It  is  very  neat,  and  prettily 
fitted  up;  the  actors  did  their  best;  l  The 
School  for  Scandal'  was  the  play.  I  missed 
the  divine  Farren  ;  but  upon  the  whole  it  was 
very  well  performed." 

A  younger  and  less  experienced  observer  of 
these  gay  scenes  was  Miss  Charlotte  Cham 
bers,  who  wrote  to  her  mother  from  Philadel 
phia  of  the  many  delights  of  the  capital.  Miss 
Chambers  was  so  fortunate  as  to  be  taken  to 
drive  by  Mrs.  Washington,  with  whom  she  had 
much  pleasant  conversation,  and  for  whom 
she  entertained  a  warm  admiration.  To  the 
eyes  of  an  unsophisticated  girl,  fresh  from 
her  quiet  home  in  Chambersburg,  with  its 
many  Scotch  Presbyterian  restrictions,  an 
Assembly  ball  must  have  seemed  equal  to  the 
most  elaborate  function  at  the  Court  of  St. 
James. 

In  describing  a  ball  given  on  the  President's 
birthday,  Miss  Chambers  dwells  upon  the  con 
trast  presented  by  the  rich  elegance  of  Mrs. 
Washington's  attire,  and  the  elaborate  orna- 

106 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ments,  feathers,  and  jewels  worn  by  the  wives 
of  the  foreign  ambassadors,  whose  costumes 
"glittered  from  the  floor  to  the  summit  of 
their  head-dress." 

Although  the  capital  was  a  gay  whirl  of 
delight  to  the  village  girl,  she  was  discrimi 
nating  in  her  estimates,  and  never  seemed  to 
have  had  her  wise  little  head  turned  by  all 
the  attention  she  received.  She  wrote  to  her 
mother  of  dining  at  Mrs.  John  Nicholson's,  of 
spending  the  evening  at  Mrs.  Madison's,  and 
of  walks  with  Miss  Binney,  during  which  they 
met  Augustus  Muhlenberg,  Septimus  Clay- 
pole,  and  General  Scott,  of  Kentucky.  The 
latter  gentleman  had  just  called  upon  Miss 
Chambers  and  Miss  Binney  to  propose  a  party 
to  Gray's  Gardens,  a  favorite  pleasure  resort 
on  the  Schuylkill  River.  Miss  Chambers  evi 
dently  enjoyed  the  society  of  the  Kentucky 
gentleman,  as  she  recorded  the  fact  that  he 
had  an  extensive  acquaintance,  great  original 
ity,  and  was  constantly  endeavoring  to  vary 
and  increase  their  amusements.  Admired  and 
feted  as  she  was  in  this  city,  Miss  Chambers 
was  not  destined  to  marry  a  Philadelphian. 
She  became  the  wife  of  Israel  Ludlow  in  1796, 
and  was  with  him  a  pioneer  in  the  settlement 
of  Ohio. 

Balls  were  always  given  on  the  President's 
birthday.  Mr.  Isaac  Weld,  in  his  travels, 
speaks  of  one  birthday,  when  Washington 
received  from  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
until  three  in  the  afternoon  in  the  large  parlors 
107 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

on  the  first  floor  of  his  house,  while  Mrs. 
Washington  received  in  her  drawing-room  up 
stairs.  After  this  long  day  in  company,  the 
President  and  his  wife  attended  a  ball  in  the 
evening,  which  was  held  this  year  at  "  Rick- 
ett's  riding  place,"  on  Chestnut  Street  above 
Sixth. 

In  speaking  of  one  of  Mrs.  Washington's 
drawing-rooms,  Mr.  Adams  said:  "As  the 
evening  was  fair  and  mild,  there  was  a  great 
circle  of  ladies  and  a  greater  of  gentlemen. 
General  Wayne  was  there  in  glory.  This 
man's  feelings  must  be  worth  a  guinea  a  min 
ute.  The  Pennsylvanians  claim  him  as  theirs, 
and  show  him  a  marked  respect."  This  was 
when  General  Wayne  returned  from  his  suc 
cessful  expedition  against  the  Indians  on  the 
banks  of  the  Miami,  after  an  absence  of  three 
years.  The  victorious  General  was  met  by 
three  troops  of  Light  Horse,  by  which  he  was 
escorted  into  the  city  amid  the  ringing  of  bells, 
the  firing  of  salutes  from  the  Centre  Square, 
and  other  demonstrations  of  joy  on  the  part 
of  the  thousands  of  citizens  who  crowded  the 
streets  to  welcome  the  hero  of  the  hour. 

When  Mr.  Jefferson  lived  in  Philadelphia,  he 
showed  his  preference  for  rural  life  by  estab 
lishing  himself  near  Gray's  Ferry.  In  a  letter 
written  to  Mrs.  Randolph  he  says :  "  We  are 
in  sight  both  of  Bartram's  and  Gray's  gardens, 
but  have  the  river  between  them  and  us."  He 
speaks  of  sauntering  on  the  banks  of  the 
Schuylkill  with  his  younger  daughter,  Maria, 

108 


Colonel  John  Cox 
Page  99 


Major-General  Anthony  Wayne 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

who  was  in  the  habit  of  spending  her  Sundays 
out-of-doors  with  him. 

The  life  of  the  Secretary  of  State  was  not, 
at  this  time,  marked  by  the  extreme  simplicity 
that  his  latter-day  followers  claim  for  him,  as 
he  kept  five  horses,  and  in  addition  to  his 
French  steward,  Pe*tit,  and  his  daughter's 
maid,  had  four  or  five  men-servants  in  his 
establishment. 

Mr.  Jefferson,  whose  tastes  were  scientific 
and  literary,  found  much  more  to  interest  him 
in  the  social  life  of  Philadelphia  than  in  that 
of  New  York.  Here,  in  addition  to  the  distin 
guished  men  gathered  together  from  the  differ 
ent  States  of  the  Union,  was  a  congenial  circle 
composed  of  members  of  the  Philosophical 
Society,  over  which  Mr.  Jefferson  was  destined 
to  preside  later.  In  this  circle  were  those  noted 
for  wit,  geniality.,  and  charm  of  manner,  as  well 
as  for  learning, — such  men  as  the  Reverend 
William  White  and  Dr.  Ashbel  Green,  both 
Chaplains  of  Congress  ;  Dr.  Abercrombie,  Dr. 
Blackwell,  Dr.  William  Smith,  Provost  of  the 
College  of  Philadelphia,  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush, 
Dr.  Caspar  Wistar,  and  Mr.  John  Vaughan, 
who  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Jeffer 
son's,  although  opposed  to  him  in  politics. 
William  Bartram,  who,  like  his  father,  John 
Bartram,  was  an  enthusiastic  botanist,  was  a 
near  neighbor  of  Mr.  Jefferson's,  although,  as 
he  says,  separated  by  the  Schuylkill.  Mr. 
Bartram's  botanical  garden  was  a  source  of 
much  pleasure  to  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  wrote  to 
109 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

his  son-in-law  for  seeds  for  Mr.  Bartram, 
being  especially  anxious  to  give  him  those  of 
the  Kentucky  coffee  tree. 

David  Rittenhouse  was  then  President  of 
the  Philosophical  Society,  and  his  nephews, 
Benjamin  Smith  Barton,  Professor  of  Natural 
History  in  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  and 
Judge  William  Barton,  who  made  the  design 
for  the  seal  of  the  United  States,*  were  asso 
ciated  with  him  in  this  learned  institution. 

For  the  genius  of  Rittenhouse  the  Virginia 
statesman  had  a  sincere  admiration ;  indeed, 
the  language  used  by  him  in  speaking  of  the 
astronomer's  ability  seems  almost  extrava 
gant:  "As  an  artist,"  said  Mr.  Jefferson,  "he 
has  exhibited  as  great  a  proof  of  mechanical 
genius  as  the  world  has  ever  produced.  He 
has  not,  indeed,  made  a  world,  but  he  has  by 


*  As  there  has  been  considerable  discussion  with  regard 
to  the  Great  Seal  of  the  United  States,  it  is  interesting  to 
know  that  letters  in  possession  of  members  of  the  Bar 
ton  family,  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Barton,  Charles 
Thomson,  Secretary  of  Congress,  and  General  Washing 
ton,  prove  that  Mr.  Barton's  design  was  accepted  and  is 
the  one  now  in  use.  General  Washington  wrote  at  length, 
complimenting  Mr.  Barton  upon  his  design,  and  the  Sec 
retary  of  Congress  said,  in  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Barton, 
June  24,  1782,  "  I  enclose  you  a  copy  of  the  device  by 
which  you  have  displayed  your  skill  in  heraldic  science, 
which  meets  with  general  approbation." 

In  1789  William  Barton  was  nominated  by  President 
Washington  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Western  Territory. 
("  The  Flag  of  the  United  States  and  other  National 
Flags,"  by  George  Henry  Preble,  pp.  690-693.) 

no 


Judge  William  Barton 
By  Charles  Willson  Peale 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN' 

imitation  approached  nearer  its  Maker  than 
any  man  who  has  lived,  from  the  creation  to 
this  day." 

This  was  in  allusion  to  the  celebrated  plane 
tarium  of  Rittenhouse,  usually  called  the 
"  Orrery,"  of  which  Joel  Barlow  in  his  "  Co- 
lumbiad "  wrote  in  much  the  same  strain  as 
Mr.  Jefferson : 

11  See  the  sage  Rittenhouse,  with  ardent  eye 
Lift  the  long  tube  and  pierce  the  starry  sky ; 
Clear  in  his  view  the  circling  systems  roll, 
And  broader  splendors  gild  the  central  pole. 
He  marks  what  laws  the  eccentric  wanderers  bind, 
Copies  creation  in  his  forming  mind." 

David  Rittenhouse,  a  self-taught  mathema 
tician,  the  son  of  a  farmer  of  Norriton  Town 
ship,  whose  instruction  was  gained  from  some 
books  and  tools  left  him  by  an  uncle,  was  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  his  time.  Read 
ing  of  young  Rittenhouse  covering  the  handle 
of  his  plough,  the  fences,  or  whatever  came 
nearest  to  him  in  the  course  of  his  farm  work, 
with  mathematical  calculations,  we  are  re 
minded  of  another  Pennsylvania  boy  who  drew 
pictures  in  the  pauses  of  his  ploughing,  and  of 
still  another  youth,  across  the  water  among 
the  hills  of  Scotland,  who  brightened  his  daily 
task  by  singing  of  the  "wee  crimson-tipped" 
flower  that  was  turned  up  in  the  furrow.  The 
genius  of  Rittenhouse,  like  that  of  his  brothers 
in  art  and  poetry,  although  united  to  extreme 
modesty,  was  of  the  kind  that  could  not  be 
suppressed  by  obstacles  and  difficulties.  The 
zzz 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

elder  Rittenhouse  much  preferred  to  have  his 
son  remain  upon  his  farm,  but  wisely  yielded 
to  his  importunities  and  allowed  him  to  enter 
upon  philosophical  and  mechanical  pursuits, 
giving  him  money  to  purchase  such  tools  as 
were  necessary  for  his  work.  Afterwards  the 
Reverend  Thomas  Barton,  who  married  a 
sister  of  Mr.  Rittenhouse,  and  went  to  England 
in  1754,  brought  his  brother-in-law  a  number 
of  scientific  books.  At  the  age  of  seventeen, 
young  Rittenhouse  constructed  a  wooden  clock 
of  very  ingenious  workmanship.  The  cele 
brated  "Orrery"  was  completed  some  years 
later. 

Mr.  Rittenhouse,  being  known  as  the  best 
mathematician  in  the  Colonies,  was  appointed 
to  settle  the  limits  between  New  York  and 
New  Jersey,  and  to  draw  a  still  more  momen 
tous  boundary  line,  that  between  Pennsyl 
vania  and  Maryland,  known  as  the  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line. 

With  men  so  learned  among  its  citizens, 
and  with  an  association  as  interesting  to 
scientists  as  the  Philosophical  Society,  it  is 
not  strange  that  many  foreigners  of  distinction 
came  to  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Joseph  Priestley 
was  at  the  capital  during  some  months  of  the 
second  administration,  living  on  High  Street, 
where  Mr.  Twining  visited  him.  Mr.  Adams 
wrote  to  his  wife  of  dining  with  Dr.  Priestley 
at  the  President's,  where  the  English  guest 
enunciated  a  doctrine  as  pleasing  to  the  learned 
as  to  the  gay,  which  was  that  "  old  age  was 

112 


Mrs.  William  Barton 

By  Charles  Willson  Peale 

Page  213 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  pleasantest  part  of  life,  and  that  he  had 
found  it  so." 

During  the  first  summer  of  the  second 
administration  the  dreaded  scourge  of  yellow- 
fever  visited  Philadelphia  with  great  severity. 
Mrs.  Drinker  recorded  in  her  diary  under  date 
of  August  23,  1793  : 

"  A  Fever  prevails  in  the  City,  particularly 
in  Water  St.  between  Race  and  Arch  Sts.  of 
ye  malignant  kind;  numbers  have  died  of  it. 
Some  say  it  was  occasioned  by  damaged 
Coffee  and  Fish,  which  were  stored  at  Wm 
Smiths',  others  say  it  was  imported  in  a 
Vessel  from  Cape  Franco  is,  which  lay  at  our 
wharf,  or  at  ye  wharf  back  our  store.  Doctor 
Hutchinson  is  ordered  by  ye  Governor  to 
enquire  into  ye  report.  He  found,  as  'tis  said, 
upwards  of  70  persons  sick  in  that  square  of 
different  disorders ;  several  of  this  putrid  or 
bilious  fever.  Some  are  ill  in  Water  St. 
between  Arch  and  Market  Sts.  and  some  in 
Race  Street.  'Tis  really  an  alarming  and 
serious  time. 

"H.  S.  D.  [Henry  S.  Drinker]  has  brought 
the  Books  up  to  the  House,  that  he  may  be 
as  little  as  possible  in  ye  lower  street." 

Mr.  Jefferson  wrote  on  September  2 :  "  A 
malignant  fever  has  been  generated  in  the 
filth  of  the  docks  of  Philadelphia,  which  has 
given  great  alarm.  It  is  considerably  infec 
tious.  At  first  it  was  confined  to  Water 
Street,  but  it  is  now  in  many  parts  of  the 
city."  A  little  later,  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  was 
8  113 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

detained  in  the  stricken  city  by  important 
public  affairs,  wrote:  "The  President  goes 
off  the  day  after  tomorrow,  as  he  had  always 
intended,  Knox  then  takes  flight.  Hamilton 
is  ill  of  the  fever,  as  is  said.  Poor  Hutcheson 
dined  with  me  on  Friday  sennight,  was  taken 
that  day  on  his  return  home  and  died  the  day 
before  yesterday.  It  is  difficult  to  say  whether 
republican  interest  has  suffered  more  by  his 
death  or  Genet's  extravagance." 

This  was  the  distinguished  Dr.  James  Hutch- 
inson.  Another  public-spirited  man  who  lost 
his  life  at  this  time  was  Jonathan  Dickinson 
Sergeant,  who  was  associated  with  Dr.  Hutch- 
inson  and  others  in  an  effort  to  discover  the 
cause  of  the  prevailing  epidemic,  as  well  as  to 
care  for  the  sick  and  dying. 

The  President,  with  his  usual  disregard  of 
his  own  safety  and  comfort,  expressed  his 
desire  to  stay  at  his  post  and  send  Mrs. 
Washington  and  her  grandchildren  to  Mount 
Vernon.  The  resolute  little  lady,  however, 
refused  to  be  sent  away  without  her  husband, 
although,  as  Washington  wrote  to  Tobias 
Lear,  their  house  "was  in  a  manner  blockaded 
by  the  disorder,  and  was  becoming  every  day 
more  fatal."  Finally,  not  being  willing  to 
subject  Mrs.  Washington  and  the  children  to 
the  danger  of  infection  any  longer,  the  Presi 
dent,  with  his  family,  set  out  for  Mount  Ver 
non  on  the  loth  of  September. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  capital,  in  November, 
the  President  took  a  house  in  Germantown, 
114 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  which  suburban  resort  many  Philadelphians 
had  taken  refuge  ;  and  members  of  Congress, 
as  they  arrived  from  other  States,  gathered 
around  him.  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  reached  Ger- 
mantown  early  in  November,  speaks  of  the 
crowded  state  of  the  little  town,  where  it 
seemed  impossible  to  lodge  another  person. 
"  As  a  great  favor,"  he  says,  "  I  have  got  a 
bed  in  the  corner  of  the  public  room  of  a 
tavern,  and  must  continue  till  some  of  the 
Philadelphians  make  a  vacancy  by  moving 
into  the  city.  Then  we  must  give  from  4  to 
6  or  8  dollars  a  week  for  cuddies  without  a 
bed,  and  sometimes  without  a  chair  or  table. 
There  is  not  a  single  lodging  house  in  the 
place." 

Later,  Mr.  Jefferson  succeeded  in  securing 
quarters  for  Mr.  Madison  and  Mr.  Monroe, 
telling  them  that  they  would  have  to  mess  at 
the  tavern  across  the  way,  as  they  all  had  to 
do.  By  the  loth  of  November  the  fever  had 
almost  entirely  disappeared ;  but  the  Presi 
dent  remained  in  Germantown  until  the  meet 
ing  of  Congress,  as  Mr.  Jefferson  thought, 
to  furnish  a  rallying-point  for  the  members. 
"  The  refugee  inhabitants,"  he  says,  "  are 
very  generally  returning  into  the  City.  Mr. 
T.  Shippen  and  lady  are  here.  He  is  very 
slowly  getting  better.  Still  confined  to  the 
house.  She  is  well  and  very  hurley." 

The  house  selected  for  the  residence  of  the 
Chief  Executive,  in  the  autumn  of  1793,  was 
one  standing  upon  the  west  side  of  the  Main 
"5 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Street  opposite  Market  Square.  This  sub 
stantial  mansion,  with  its  garden,  full  of  fine 
trees,  running  back  to  Greene  Street,  was  then 
owned  by  Colonel  Isaac  Franks,  of  the  Conti 
nental  Army. 

Again  in  the  summer  of  1794,  the  President 
occupied  this  Germantown  house  from  July 
until  late  in  September.  It  was  during  one,  or 
both,  of  these  residences  in  Germantown  that 
G.  W.  Parke  Custis  was  entered  among  the 
students  of  the  old  Academy  at  the  corner  of 
School  House  Lane  and  Greene  Street.  The 
Academy  and  the  house  stand  to-day,  ap 
parently  untouched  by  time  and  unchanged  by 
the  modern  thirst  for  improvement,  so  called. 
The  latter  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  Elliston 
Perot  Morris,  a  great-grandson  of  Samuel  Mor 
ris,  Captain  of  the  First  Troop  City  Cavalry. 
Looking  through  the  grating  into  the  garden, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  people  the  lovely  shaded 
grounds  with  figures  of  the  past.  The  Wash- 
ingtons  were  so  fond  of  an  out-of-door  life 
that  we  may  believe  that  Mrs.  Washington 
often  sat  under  one  of  these  great  trees,  with 
her  knitting  in  her  hands,  surrounded  by  her 
grandchildren,  while  the  stately  figure  of  the 
President  was  to  be  seen  walking  to  and  fro 
among  the  shrubbery  alone,  engaged  in  earnest 
thought  ;  or  in  the  company  of  such  asso 
ciates  in  the  government  as  Jefferson,  Madi 
son,  Monroe,  and  Hamilton;  or  with  the  great 
Pennsylvania  lawyers,  James  Wilson,  Richard 
Peters,  William  Rawle,  Edward  Tilghman, 
zi6 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Attorney-General  Bradford,  Edward  Shippen, 
William  Lewis,  and  Tench  Francis;  or  right 
ing  over  again  the  battles  of  the  Republic  in 
the  congenial  company  of  General  Knox,  Col 
onel  Cox,  Clement  Biddle,  or  Colonel  Walter 
Stewart,  whose  father-in-law,  Blair  McClena- 
chan,  was  a  near  neighbor,  as  he  owned  Mr. 
Chew's  house,  a  little  farther  up  on  the  Main 
Street. 

Chief-Justice  Chew  sold  his  country-seat, 
Cliveden,  to  Mr.  McClenachan  in  1779,  because 
he  and  his  family  were  so  much  distressed  by 
the  havoc  wrought  there  during  the  battle  of 
Germantown  that  they  did  not  wish  to  return 
to  it.  Cliveden  was  afterwards  repurchased 
by  its  original  owner,  who  was  living  there  in 
1797,  as  the  Duke  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  who 
left  America  in  1798,  speaks  of  visiting  his  good 
old  friend,  Mr.  Benjamin  Chew,  in  his  country 
home. 


117 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 


CHAPTER      IV.        SALONS      GAY      AND 
GRAVE 

FOR  some  months  after  the  British  oc 
cupation  of  Philadelphia,  the  lines  of 
distinction  between  the  Whig  and  Tory 
ladies  were  observed  in  the  social  life  of  the 
chief  city  of  the  Colonies,  these  lines  having 
been  defined  by  the  absence  from,  or  attend 
ance  of  these  ladies  upon,  certain  entertain 
ments  given  by  the  English  officers.  The 
following  winter,  a  ball  was  given  at  the  City 
Tavern  "  to  the  young  ladies  who  had  mani 
fested  their  attachment  to  the  cause  of  virtue 
and  freedom,  by  sacrificing  every  convenience 
to  the  love  of  their  country." 

Whether  incited  to  retaliation  by  this  implied 
reproach,  or  by  General  Wayne's  caustic  allu 
sion  to  the  devotion  of  the  Tory  belles  to  "the 
heavenly,  sweet,  pretty  redcoats,"  Rebecca 
Franks,  daring  and  original  as  she  was  beau 
tiful,  dressed  up  a  small  dog  in  the  colors  then 
worn  in  honor  of  the  French  alliance,  and 
had  it  turned  loose  in  the  ball-room  upon  the 
occasion  of  a  grand  ball  given  to  Mrs.  Wash 
ington  either  by  M.  Gerard,  or  by  the  French 
residents  of  Philadelphia.  Somewhat  less 
scathing  were  Miss  Franks's  practical  jokes, 
than  those  inflicted  by  her  tongue,  for,  like  a 
flash  of  lightning,  it  was  impossible  to  tell 
where  her  wit  would  strike ;  one  day  General 

iz8 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Charles  Lee  was  jeered  at  about  his  "  sherry- 
vallies,"  while  upon  another  the  British  officer, 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  received  a  sharp  rebuke 
from  this  capricious  lady. 

Chief  among  the  Tory  belles  were  Miss 
Franks,  beautiful  Margaret  Shippen,— who 
married  Benedict  Arnold,— her  sisters,  Mary 
and  Sarah  Shippen,  the  Chews,  Cliftons, 
Riches,  Swifts,  Redmans,  Aliens,  Bonds,  and 
Hamiltons. 

M.  de  Chastellux,  who  was  in  Philadelphia 
in  1780  and  1781,  speaks  of  an  Assembly  ball 
from  which  the  Tory  ladies  were  excluded, 
one  young  lady  present,  Miss  Footman,  being 
"  rather  contraband,  that  is  to  say  suspected 
of  not  being  a  very  good  Whig."  The  names 
of  the  dances,  as  described  by  the  French 
gentleman,  could  not  have  been  particularly 
agreeable  to  Tory  ears,  as  they,  he  says,  "like 
the  toasts  we  drink  at  table,  have  some  rela 
tion  to  politics.  One  is  called  the  success  of 
the  campaign,  another,  the  defeat  of  Burgoyne, 
and  a  third,  Clinton's  retreat." 

Whig  and  Tory  ladies  may  have  stood  aloof 
from  each  other  for  a  time,  but  connections  by 
blood  or  marriage,  similarity  of  tastes  and  edu 
cation,  and  the  limited  area  of  the  old  city,  all 
tended  to  draw  them  together,  and  before  the 
war  was  fairly  over  we  find  Whigs  and  Tories 
dancing  and  drinking  tea  together  in  great  har 
mony. 

Mrs.    Samuel  Shoemaker  wrote  from  Phila 
delphia  to  her  husband,  then  in  London,  under 
119 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

date  of  December,  1783:  "That  set  [the  Tory 
party]  have  prudently  determined,  as  they 
cannot  exist  in  retirement,  either  at  Lans- 
downe  or  anywhere  else  out  of  public  places, 
to  join  the  others,  and  Gov.  [John]  Penn  and 
lady,  Mrs.  Allen  and  mother  .  .  .  and  all  their 
former  intimates,  are  now  as  happy  at  Mrs. 
Stewart's,  formerly  M'Clanachan,  at  the 
French  Minister's,  or  in  any  other  Whig 
Society,  as  ever  they  were  in  the  select  circle 
they  once  were  the  principals  of." 

A  social  and  international  entertainment 
that  brought  together  the  various  elements  of 
the  city,  both  grave  and  gay,  was  a  superb  ball 
given  by  the  French  Minister,  M.  de  la  Lu- 
zerne,  to  celebrate  the  birth  of  the  Dauphin  of 
France.  The  news  of  the  advent  of  the  ill- 
starred  little  Dauphin,  which  was  received  with 
wild  demonstrations  of  joy  by  the  fickle  Parisian 
populace,  was  celebrated  with  great  rejoicings 
in  America,  in  consequence  of  the  friendly  feel 
ing  that  existed  between  the  two  nations,  and 
the  aid  and  support  that  the  French  were  then 
giving  to  the  struggling  Republic. 

General  Washington  celebrated  the  event  at 
West  Point  with  a  dinner,  a  dance,  and  fire 
works,  and  was  in  Philadelphia  with  Count  Ro- 
chambeau  by  the  i5th  of  July  to  participate  in 
the  entertainment  given  by  the  French  Minister. 

Mr.    Jacob    Hiltzheimer    and    Mrs.     Henry 

Drinker    both    speak    in   their    diaries  of  this 

ball.     The  former  writes,   under  date  of  July 

15,   1782:  "  Great    doings    this    evening    at  ye 

120 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

French  Ambassador's  (who  lives  at  John  Dick 
insons  House  up  Chestnut  St.) — on  account  of 
ye  birth  of  ye  Dauphin  of  France — feasting, 
fireworks,  &c.,  for  which  they  have  been  pre 
paring  for  some  weeks." 

The  house  which  was  occupied  by  M.  de  la 
Luzerne  was  the  old  mansion  on  Chestnut 
Street  above  Sixth,  in  which  Mrs.  Ferguson 
once  held  her  literary  gatherings.  At  this  time 
the  house  belonged  to  Mr.  John  Dickinson, 
from  whom  it  was  rented  for  the  French  Min 
ister.  Early  in  the  next  century  it  was  the 
residence  of  Chief-Justice  William  Tilghman. 
This  house,  not  being  large  enough  for  an 
entertainment  upon  so  grand  a  scale  as  that 
planned  by  M.  de  la  Luzerne,  he  had  a  great 
frame  pavilion  erected  upon  one  side  to  serve 
as  a  dancing-room.  This  pavilion,  whose  deco 
rated  ceiling  was  supported  by  pillars,  was 
open  upon  all  sides.  From  it  the  guests  could 
step  into  the  garden,  where  numerous  seats 
were  placed  under  the  trees,  and  where  pine 
and  cedar  branches  were  arranged  into  arti 
ficial  groves  and  bowers. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  this 
entertainment,  a  writer  of  the  time  recorded, 
among  other  items,  that  M.  de  la  Luzerne  had 
borrowed  "  thirty  cooks  from  the  French  army 
to  assist  in  providing  an  entertainment  suited 
to  the  size  and  dignity  of  the  company." 

The  isth  of  July,  the  date  named  for  the 
French  Minister's  ball,  was  one  of  great  ex 
citement  in  the  gay  world  of  Philadelphia,  and 
121 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  the  work-a-day  world  as  well,  tradesmen 
of  various  kinds  being  in  demand,  and  barbers 
and  hair-dressers  in  particular  requisition. 
"  The  shops  were  crowded  with  customers," 
relates  an  eye-witness  of  these  scenes.  "  Hair 
dressers  were  retained ;  tailors,  milliners,  and 
mantua  makers  were  to  be  seen  covered  with 
sweat  and  out  of  breath,  in  every  street.  .  .  . 
The  morning  of  this  day  was  ushered  in  by  a 
corps  of  hair-dressers,  occupying  the  place  of 
the  city  watchmen.  Many  ladies  were  obliged 
to  have  their  heads  dressed  between  four  and 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  so  great  was  the 
demand  and  so  numerous  were  the  engage 
ments  this  day  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  comb. 
At  half  past  seven  o'clock  was  the  time  fixed 
in  the  tickets  for  the  meeting  of  the  company. 
The  approach  of  the  hour  was  proclaimed  by 
the  rattling  of  all  the  carriages  in  the  city." 

After  reading  a  description  of  this  ball, 
written  by  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  to  a  friend, 
the  splendors  of  the  famous  Mischianza  lose 
some  of  their  radiance.  In  point  of  intellect 
ual  brilliancy,  the  Franco-Republican  enter 
tainment  far  exceeded  that  given  by  the  British 
officers,  for  here  was  gathered  a  remarkable 
assemblage  of  statesmen,  warriors,  and  diplo 
mats.  Dr.  Rush  says  that  forty  tickets  were 
sent  to  the  governor  of  each  State,  to  be  dis 
tributed  by  him  to  the  principal  officers  and 
gentlemen  of  his  government,  and  an  equal 
number  to  General  Washington,  to  be  dis 
tributed  to  the  principal  officers  of  the  army. 

122 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

"  About  eight  o'clock,"  says  the  genial  chron 
icler  of  this  fete,  "  our  family  consisting  of 
Mrs.  Rush,  our  cousin  Susan  Hall,  our  sister 
Sukey  and  myself,  with  our  good  neighbors 
Mrs.  and  Mr.  Henry,  entered  the  apartment 
provided  for  this  splendid  entertainment.  We 
were  received  through  a  wide  gate  by  the 
minister  and  conducted  by  one  of  his  family 
to  the  dancing  room.  The  scene  now  almost 
exceeds  description.  The  numerous  lights 
distributed  through  the  garden,  the  splendour 
of  the  room  we  were  approaching,  the  size  of 
the  company  which  was  now  collected  and 
which  consisted  of  about  700  persons  ;  the 
brilliancy  and  variety  of  their  dresses,  and  the 
band  of  music  which  had  just  began  to  play, 
formed  a  scene  which  resembled  enchantment. 
Sukey  Stockton  said  'her  mind  was  carried  be 
yond  and  out  of  itself.'*  We  entered  the  room 
together,  and  here  we  saw  the  world  in  min 
iature.  All  the  ranks,  parties,  and  professions 
in  the  city,  and  all  the  officers  of  government 
were  fully  represented  in  this  assembly.  Here 
were  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  most  an 
cient  as  well  as  modern  families.  Here  were 

*  Susannah  Stockton,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Benjamin  Rush 
and  of  Richard,  the  signer,  married  Lewis  Pintard,  who 
belonged  to  a  prominent  Huguenot  family  of  New  Rochelle, 
New  York.  Another  sister,  Abigail  Stockton,  married  Cap 
tain  Pintard,  a  brother  of  Lewis  Pintard.  The  Stockton 
sisters  all  spent  their  girlhood  at  Morven,  the  old  Stockton 
mansion  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  still  standing  and  in 
the  possession  of  the  Stockton  family. 
123 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

lawyers,  doctors  and  ministers  of  the  gospel. 
Here  were  the  learned  faculty  of  the  college, 
and  among  them  many  who  knew  not  whether 
Cicero  plead  in  Latin  or  in  Greek ;  or  whether 
Horace  was  a  Roman  or  a  Scotchman.  Here 
were  painters  and  musicians,  poets  and  phi 
losophers,  and  men  who  were  never  moved  by 
beauty  or  harmony,  or  by  rhyme  or  reason. 
Here  were  merchants  and  gentlemen  of  inde 
pendent  fortunes,  as  well  as  many  respectable 
and  opulent  tradesmen.  Here  were  whigs 
and  men  who  formerly  bore  the  character  of 
tories.  Here  were  the  president  and  members 
of  congress,  governors  of  states  and  generals 
of  armies ;  ministers  of  finance  and  foreign 
affairs.  In  a  word  the  assembly  was  truly 
republican.  Here  were  to  be  seen  heroes  and 
patriots  in  close  conversation  with  each  other. 
Washington  and  Dickinson  held  several  dia 
logues  together.  Here  were  to  be  seen  men 
conversing  with  each  other  who  had  appeared 
in  all  the  different  stages  of  the  American  war. 
Dickinson  and  Morris  frequently  reclined  to 
gether  against  the  same  pillar.  Here  were  to 
be  seen  states-men  and  warriors,  from  the 
opposite  ends  of  the  continent,  talking  of  the 
history  of  the  war  in  their  respective  states. 
Rutledge  and  Walton  from  the  south,  here 
conversed  with  Lincoln  and  Duane  from  the 
east  and  north.  Here  and  there,  too,  appeared 
a  solitary  character  walking  among  the  arti 
ficial  bowers  in  the  garden.  The  celebrated 
author  of  '  Common  Sense '  retired  frequently 

124 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

from  the  company  to  analyze  his  thoughts  and 
to  enjoy  the  repast  of  his  own  original  ideas. 
Here  were  to  be  seen  men  who  had  opposed 
each  other  in  the  councils  and  parties  of  their 
country,  forgetting  all  former  resentments  and 
exchanging  civilities  with  each  other.  Mifflin 
and  Reed  accosted  each  other  with  all  the 
kindness  of  ancient  friends.  Here  were  to  be 
seen  men  of  various  countries  and  languages, 
such  as  Americans  and  Frenchmen,  English 
men  and  Scotchmen,  Germans  and  Irishmen, 
conversing  with  each  other  like  children  of 
one  father.  And  lastly,  here  were  to  be  seen 
the  extremes  of  the  civilized  and  savage  life." 
Dr.  Rush  further  explains  the  striking  contrast 
mentioned  in  this  last  sentence  by  saying  that 
an  Indian  chief  was  present  "in  his  savage 
habit  and  the  Count  Rochambeau  in  his  splen 
did  and  expensive  uniform." 

Several  instances,  of  great  generosity  and 
thoughtfulness  on  the  part  of  the  French 
Minister,  are  recorded.  In  order  to  humor  the 
taste  of  the  populace  for  spectacular  enter 
tainments,  M.  de  la  Luzerne  had  a  board  fence 
on  one  side  of  the  grounds  pulled  down,  and 
had  a  light,  open  fence  put  up  in  its  place, 
through  which  a  full  view  of  the  dancing-room 
could  be  had.  By  this  means  thousands  of 
people  were  able  to  witness  the  brilliant  scene. 
In  addition  to  this,  says  Dr.  Rush,  and  whether 
speaking  seriously  or  not  it  is  impossible  to 
tell,  "  Under  the  orchestra  there  was  a  private 
room  where  several  quaker  ladies,  whose  dress 
125 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

would  not  permit  them  to  join  the  assembly, 
were  indulged  with  a  sight  of  the  company 
through  a  gauze  curtain. 

"  This  little  attention  to  the  curiosity  of  the 
ladies  marks  in  the  strongest  manner  the  min 
ister's  desire  to  oblige  everybody." 

If  the  last  was  a  little  jest  of  the  good  Doc 
tor's,  intended  for  a  Quaker  friend  to  whom  he 
was  writing,  it  was  perpetrated  with  admirable 
skill  and  vraisemblance.  Another  instance  is  re 
lated  of  the  kindness  of  M.  de  la  Luzerne,  who 
proposed  to  distribute  two  pipes  of  Madeira 
wine  and  six  hundred  dollars  in  small  change 
among  the  populace,  which  was  gathered 
around  the  house  and  the  adjoining  streets  to 
the  number  of  several  thousands.  "  From  this 
act  of  generosity,"  says  Dr.  Rush,  "he  was 
dissuaded  by  some  gentlemen  of  the  city,  who 
were  afraid  that  it  might  prove  the  occasion 
of  a  riot  or  some  troublesome  proceedings. 
The  money  devoted  to  this  purpose  was  char 
itably  distributed  among  the  prisoners  in  the 
jails,  and  patients  in  the  hospitals  in  the  city." 
That  the  populace  might  not  be  entirely  de 
prived  of  some  share  in  the  rejoicings  of  this 
fete  de  naissance,  some  fireworks  were  exhibited 
from  an  open  lot  near  the  Minister's  house. 
These  the  little  Quaker  children  in  the  neigh 
borhood  were  permitted  to  enjoy,  as  Mrs. 
Drinker  relates  that  "C.  James  and  our  chil 
dren  spent  part  of  ye  evening  on  ye  top  of  ye 
House,  where  they  could  see  ye  Fireworks." 
At  the  supper,  which  was  served  in  three  large 
126 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tents  so  connected  as  to  make  one  room,  Dr. 
Rush  says  that  "the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne 
appeared  with  all  the  splendour  of  the  minister 
and  all  the  politeness  of  a  gentleman,  as  he 
walked  along  the  tables  and  addressed  himself 
in  particular  to  every  lady." 

Superb  as  was  this  entertainment,  the  con 
viviality  and  ease  essential  to  complete  en 
joyment  seemed  to  be  lost  sight  of  in  the 
impressive  decorum  of  the  scene.  While  ad 
miring  this  excessive  "good  breeding,"  which 
led  several  gentlemen  to  remark  that  "  the 
company  looked  and  behaved  more  as  if  they 
were  worshipping  than  eating,"  Dr.  Rush 
found  something  lacking,  a  void  that  could 
only  have  been  filled  by  an  ode  to  the  Dauphin, 
sung  or  repeated,  which,  he  thought,  would 
have  served  to  draw  the  company  together  in 
a  genuine  rejoicing.  That  an  ode  had  been 
composed  for  this  occasion  by  Mr.  William 
Smith,  son  of  the  Reverend  William  Smith, 
Dr.  Rush  states  in  his  letter,  adding,  "  but  for 
what  cause  I  know  not,  it  did  not  make  its 
appearance." 

As  M.  de  Chastellux  does  not  describe  the 
grand  fete  of  his  friend  and  compatriot,  we 
may  conclude  that  he  was  not  in  Philadelphia 
at  the  time.  He  travelled  much,  North  and 
South,  was  in  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  in  May 
of  this  year,  and  later  in  New  England,  visiting 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  Langdon  and  Colonel  Went- 
worth,  in  Portsmouth,  and  the  Tracys,  in 
Newburyport. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mr.  John  Tracy,  the  most  considerable  mer 
chant  of  the  place,  entertained  M.  de  Chas- 
tellux  and  the  French  gentleman  with  him. 
Mrs.  Tracy  and  her  sister,  and  a  cousin,  Miss 
Lee,  who  is  described  as  possessing  an  agree 
able  and  spirituelle  face,  made  the  evening  pass 
pleasantly ;  Miss  Lee  sang,  and  induced  M.  de 
Vaudreuil  to  join  her.  After  the  ladies  had 
left  the  room,  M.  de  Chastellux  relates  that 
the  gentlemen  continued  drinking  Mr.  Tracy's 
very  excellent  Madeira  and  sherry,  and  that, 
in  consequence  of  pipes  which  were  intro 
duced,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country, 
the  other  gentlemen — not  M.  de  Chastellux — 
lost  their  heads,  and  were  glad  to  be  led  home 
to  their  beds.  The  French  gentleman  wished 
it  to  be  clearly  understood  that  it  was  the 
American  pipes,  and  not  the  imported  Madeira, 
that  brought  about  this  unhappy  state  of  af 
fairs. 

In  Boston  M.  de  Chastellux  was  welcomed 
by  his  "  ancienne  connoissance  M.  Brick,"  with 
whom  he  dined,  and  by  whom  he  was  intro 
duced  to  the  Assembly  balls,  of  which  this 
gentleman,  Mr.  Samuel  Breck,  was  a  man 
ager.*  Here  the  French  gentleman  had  the 

*  Mr.  Samuel  Breck,  of  Boston,  father  of  the  Honorable 
Samuel  Breck,  author  of  the  "  Recollections."  Mr.  Samuel 
Breck,  the  elder,  was  an  opulent  merchant  who  lived  at  the 
corner  of  Winter  and  Tremont  Streets,  Boston,  which  city 
he  left  in  1792,  on  account  of  the  "  iniquitous  taxes,"  and 
settled  at  321  High  Street,  Philadelphia,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  days. 

128 


Honorable  Samuel  Breck 
Bv  Loubet 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

pleasure  of  seeing  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil 
open  the  ball  with  Lady  Temple  ;  and  after 
observing  the  grace  with  which  M.  de  1'Aig- 
uille,  the  elder,  and  M.  Truguet  each  per 
formed  in  the  minuet,  he  enjoyed  the  still 
greater  satisfaction  of  contrasting,  to  the  ad 
vantage  of  his  own  compatriots,  the  dancing 
of  Americans  and  Frenchmen.  Towards  the 
ladies,  M.  de  Chastellux  was  more  compli 
mentary,  pronouncing  Mrs.  Jarvis,  her  sister, 
Miss  Betsy  Broom,  and  Mrs.  Whitmore  the 
best  dancers  in  the  room.  Although  the  women 
present  were  well  dressed,  and  the  coup  d'osil 
of  the  dancing-room  superior  to  a  similar  as 
sembly  at  the  City  Tavern  in  Philadelphia,  M. 
de  Chastellux  was  obliged  to  admit  that  the 
dressing  was  less  elegant  and  tasteful  than  in 
the  Quaker  City. 

Upon  another  occasion  M.  de  Chastellux 
records  his  pride  in  the  dancing  of  two  other 
fellow-countrymen,  the  Comte  de  Damas  and 
the  Vicomte  de  Noailles.  This  was  at  a  ball 
given  in  Philadelphia.  "  Strangers,"  he  says, 
"have  generally  the  privilege  of  being  compli 
mented  with  the  handsomest  women.  The 
Comte  de  Damas  *  had  Mrs.  Bingham  for  a 
partner,  and  the  Vicomte  de  Noailles,  Miss 
Shippen.  Both  of  them,  like  true  philoso 
phers,  testified  a  great  respect  for  the  manners 

*  This  was  probably  Comte  Charles  de  Damas,  as  M. 
de  Chastellux  repeats  the  name  frequently  in  his  letters. 
Guillaume  Matthieu  Comte  Dumas  was  in  America  at  the 
9  129 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  the  country  by  not  quitting  their  handsome 
partners  the  whole  evening;  in  other  respects 
they  were  the  admiration  of  all  the  assembly, 
from  the  grace  and  nobleness  with  which  they 
danced ;  I  may  even  assert,  to  the  honor  of 
my  country,  that  they  surpassed  a  Chief  Jus 
tice  of  Carolina  (Mr.  Pendleton)  and  two 
members  of  Congress,  one  of  whom  (Mr. 
Duane)  passed  however  for  being  by  10  per 
cent  more  lively  than  all  the  other  dancers. 
The  ball  was  suspended  towards  midnight,  by 
a  supper  served  in  the  manner  of  coffee,  on 
several  different  tables.  On  passing  into  the 
dining  room,  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne  pre 
sented  his  hand  to  Mrs.  Morris,  and  gave  her 
the  precedence,  an  honor  pretty  generally 
bestowed  upon  her,  as  she  is  the  richest 
woman  in  the  city." 

M.  de  Chastellux  was  quite  correct  in  speak 
ing  of  Mrs.  Robert  Morris  as  a  great  social 
leader  at  this  time.  Her  husband's  wealth  and 
important  position  in  the  Republic,  the  stand 
ing  of  her  family,  and  her  own  tact  and  ability 
all  combined  to  make  Mrs.  Morris  an  impor 
tant  personage  in  the  fashionable  world.  Mrs. 
Drinker  writes  of  her  daughter,  and  her  young 

same  time,  and  in  his  memoirs  speaks  of  Count  Charles  de 
Damas,  who  was,  like  himself  an  aide-de-camp  to  Count 
Rochambeau.  The  names  and  titles  are  easily  confused. 
The  Comte  Dumas  was  the  more  distinguished  of  the 
two,  having  later  served  as  aide-de-camp  to  Lafayette  and 
fought  with  Napoleon,  while  under  Louis  Philippe  he  was 
made  Councillor  of  State  and  a  Peer  of  France. 
130 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

friends,  having  gone  to  see  the  greenhouse  of 
Robert  Morris  as  one  of  the  sights  of  the  town. 
This  was  at  his  country-place,  "  The  Hills,"  as 
Mrs.  Drinker  says  that  the  distance  was  over 
three  miles. 

Mr.  Samuel  Breck,  in  recalling  the  elegance 
of  the  Morris  household,  does  not  dwell  upon 
the  white  liveries  of  the  servants,  as  does 
another  writer  of  the  time,  but  he  says  very 
emphatically  that  such  luxury  was  to  be  found 
nowhere  else  in  America.  "  It  was  the  pure 
and  unalloyed  which  the  Morrises  sought  to 
place  before  their  friends,  without  the  abate 
ments  that  so  frequently  accompany  the  dis 
plays  of  fashionable  life.  No  badly  cooked  or 
cold  dinners  at  their  tables ;  no  pinched  fires 
upon  their  hearths ;  no  paucity  of  waiters ;  no 
awkward  loons  in  their  drawing  rooms.  \Ve 
have  no  such  establishments  now.  God  in 
his  mercy  gives  us  plenty  of  provisions,  but 
it  would  seem  as  if  the  devil  possessed  the 
cooks." 

M.  de  ChastelLux  says  of  Mr..  Morris :  "  He 
is  a  large  man,  very  simple  in  his  manners, 
his  mind  is  subtle  and  acute-,  a  zealous  repub 
lican  and  an  Epicurean  philosopher,  he  has 
always  played  a  distinguished,  part  in  social 
life  and  in  affairs." 

One  of  M.  de  Chastellux's  earliest  visits  was 
to  Mrs.  Richard  Bache,  whom  he  found  en 
gaged,  in  company  with  Mrs.  Joseph  Reed 
and  a  number  of  Philadelphia  ladies,  in  making 
shirts  for  the  Continental  soldiers.  "Simple 
131 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  her  manners,"  he  says,  "like  her  respect 
able  father  [Dr.  Franklin]  she  possesses  his 
benevolence." 

No  traveller  who  visited  America  at  this 
time,  seems  to  have  so  thoroughly  understood 
the  position  and  capabilities  of  the  women 
of  the  Republic  as  did  M.  de  Chastellux. 
After  being  delightfully  entertained  at  Colonel 
Samuel  Meredith's,  where  Miss  Polly  Cad- 
walader  made  a  conquest  of  Mr.  Lynch,  while 
Mrs.  Meredith  conversed  with  the  narrator 
upon  literature,  poetry,  romance,  and,  above 
all,  on  the  history  of  France,  upon  which  she 
was  well  informed,  the  admiring  Frenchman 
constructed  the  following  somewhat  involved 
epigram:  "It  must  be  acknowledged,  with 
regard  to  the  ladies  who  compose  it  [Mrs. 
Meredith's  circle]  that  none  of  them  is  what 
may  be  called  handsome;  this  mode  of  ex 
pression  is,  perhaps,  a  little  too  circuitous  for 
the  American  women,  but  if  they  have  wit 
enough  to  comprehend,  and  good  sense  enough 
to  be  flattered  with  it,  their  eulogium  will  be 
complete." 

M.  de  Chastellux  supped,  dined,  and  danced 
with  both  Whigs  and  Tories.  He  makes  par 
ticular  mention  of  such  leading  Whig  families 
as  the  Peterses,  Willings,  Morrises,  Powels, 
Cadwaladers,*  and  Binghams.  At  the  house 

*  As  early  as   1766,  soon  after  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp 

Act,  Colonel  Lambert  Cadwalader,  after  eulogizing  Mr. 

Pitt  for  his  share  in  the  good  work,  wrote  to  Colonel  George 

Morgan,  of  Pittsburgh,  in  the  following  patriotic  and  pro- 

132 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  the  Virginia  statesman,  Colonel  Theodoric 
Bland,  he  drank  tea,  which  function  the 
French  Marquis  described  as  a  sort  of  as 
sembly,  pretty  much  like  the  conversazioni  of 
Italy.  Here  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux  met 
Mr.  Izard,  of  South  Carolina,  and  Arthur  Lee, 
both  recently  returned  from  Europe,  and  his 
three  compatriots,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette, 
the  Vicomte  de  NoaJlles,  and  the  Comte  de 
Damas.  The  scene,  he  says,  "was  decorated 
by  several  married  and  unmarried  ladies, 
among  whom  Miss  Shippen,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Shippen,  and  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Arnold,  claimed 
particular  distinction." 

Dr.  William  Shippen  was  a  stanch  friend  of 
the  administration  and  of  the  Chief  Executive, 
having  served  the  latter  during  the  war  as 
Director-General  of  the  Medical  Department, 
and  endured  with  him  "the  slings  and  arrows 
of  outrageous  "  invective  at  the  hands  of  Con- 
way  and  others.  The  Miss  Shippen  to  whom 
M.  de  Chastellux  so  frequently  alluded  was 
Dr.  William  Shippen's  daughter  Anne,  who 
soon  after  married  Mr.  Livingston. 

At  Dr.  Shippen's  home  the  French  gentle 
man  was  introduced  to  a  scene  that  must  have 
reminded  him  of  a  salon  in  his  own  country  as 

phetic  strain  :  **  America  is  again  free  !  God  bless  her  ; 
long  may  she  remain  so.  As  to  the  Act  asserting  the  right 
of  Parliament  to  tax  the  Colonies,  we  shall  regard  it  as 
waste  paper.  Let  us  only  enjoy  liberty  but  half  a  century 
longer,  and  we  will  defy  the  power  of  England  to  enslave 
us." 

133 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

much  as  a  "  conversazione  "  of  Italy.  "  In  the 
afternoon,"  he  says,  "we  drank  tea  with  Miss 
Shippen.  This  was  the  first  time,  since  my 
arrival  in  America,  that  I  had  seen  music 
introduced  into  society,  and  mixed  with  its 
amusements.  Miss  Rutledge  played  upon 
the  harpsichord,  and  played  very  well.  Miss 
Shippen  sang  with  timidity,  but  with  a  pretty 
voice.  Mr.  Ottaw,  Secretary  to  M.  de  Lu- 
zerne,  *  sent  for  his  harp  and  accompanied 
Miss  Shippen  playing  several  pieces.  Music 
naturally  leads  to  dancing ;  the  Vicomte  de 
Noailles,  took  down  a  violin,  which  was 
mounted  with  harp  strings,  and  he  made  the 
young  ladies  dance,  whilst  their  mothers  and 
other  grave  personages  chatted  in  another 
room." 

Mrs.  Samuel  Powel,  for  whom  Mrs.  John 
Adams  expressed  so  warm  an  admiration, 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  critical  and 
always  discriminating  Frenchman,  which  he 
showed  by  frequently  going  to  her  home  for  a 
chat  and  staying  until  a  late  hour.  "  She  is," 
he  says,  "  well  read  and  intelligent ;  but  what 
distinguished  her  most  is  her  taste  for  conver 
sation,  and  the  truly  European  use  that  she 
knows  how  to  make  of  her  understanding  and 
information."  Of  the  happy  married  life  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powel,  M.  de.  Chastellux  writes  : 
"  I  shall  not  say  that  they  have  lived  together 

*  Louis  Guillaume  Otto,  afterwards  charge  d'affaires  in 
the  place  of  M.  Barb<§-Marbois. 

134 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  the  closest  union  as  man  and  wife,  for 
twenty  years,  as  that  would  not  convey  the 
idea  of  perfect  equality  in  America,  but  as  two 
friends,  happily  matched  in  point  of  under 
standing,  taste  and  information." 

Mrs.  Powel  was  a  sister  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Willing,  and  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  this 
"motherly  and  friendly"  lady,  as  Mrs.  Adams 
described  her,  was  a  great  help  to  her  brother 
in  the  care  of  his  large  family  of  young 
daughters.  The  eldest  of  the  group,  Mrs. 
William  Bingham,  was  a  bride  of  seventeen 
when  M.  de  Chastellux  met  her.  Although 
those  "who  knew  Anne  Willing  in  her  girlhood 
described  her  as  beautiful  and  charming,  it  is 
evident  that  her  attractions,  at  this  early  time, 
were  only  a  promise  of  the  full  flower  of 
beauty  that  was  to  grace  the  social  life  of  the 
first  and  second  administrations. 

Mr.  Thomas  Willing,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Bing 
ham,  had  inherited  from  his  father,  Charles 
Willing,  some  property,  a  large  commercial 
business,  and  an  excellent  ability  for  affairs. 
During  the  war  he  and  his  partner,  Robert 
Morris,  were  the  financial  bulwarks  of  the 
Revolution,  in  addition  to  which  they  held  im 
portant  positions  in  the  Provincial  and  Conti 
nental  Congresses.  Both  Mr.  Willing  and  Mr. 
Morris  had  hesitated  to  sign  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  because  they  hoped  for  an 
adjustment  of  the  difficulties  with  the  mother 
country ;  but  when  the  Revolution  became  an 
accomplished  fact,  no  men  were  more  ardent 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  their  support  of  the  cause  of  the  Colonies 
than  these  two  merchant  princes  of  old  Phila 
delphia.  When  the  Bank  of  North  America 
•was  chartered,  Mr.  Willing  was  elected  its 
President,  having  associated  with  him  in  its 
management  such  substantial  citizens  as  James 
Wilson,  Samuel  Osgood,  Samuel  Meredith, 
Cadwalader  Morris,  Samuel  Inglis,  Timothy 
Matlack,  and  Thomas  Fitzsimons,  an  Irish 
merchant  and  patriot.  The  establishment  of 
this  bank,  whose  object  was  to  raise  money 
for  the  prosecution  of  the  war,  was  greatly 
facilitated  by  the  election  of  Mr.  Morris  to  be 
Superintendent  of  Finance,  and  by  the  arrival 
of  a  French  frigate  bringing  four  hundred  and 
seventy  thousand  dollars  in  specie  for  the  use 
of  the  provisional  government.  Thomas  "Wil 
ling,  John  Ross,  Gouverneur  Morris,  George 
Meade,  David  H.  Conyngham,  and  other  men 
of  means  had  sufficient  confidence  in  the  ulti 
mate  success  of  the  Colonies  to  subscribe 
largely  to  this  bank,  although,  as  Gouverneur 
Morris  said,  the  government,  which  was  the 
largest  stockholder,  always  put  in  its  deposit 
with  one  hand  and  borrowed  it  with  the  other. 
Mr.  William  Bingham,  when  a  very  young 
man,  and  at  the  commencement  of  his  suc 
cessful  career,  generously  subscribed  five  thou 
sand  pounds  to  the  Bank  of  Pennsylvania  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  the  army  of  the 
United  States  with  provisions  for  two  months, 
and  this  in  one  of  the  darkest  hours  of  the 
struggle  for  liberty.  Upon  the  formation  of 
136 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  Bank  of  North  America,  Mr.  Bingham 
again  subscribed  largely,  as  did  Mr.  Willing, 
its  President.  Those,  who  afterwards  spoke 
of  Mr.  Bingham  and  other  stockholders  of  the 
bank  as  having  made  money  out  of  the  war, 
seemed  to  forget  that  at  the  time  these  men 
subscribed  funds  to  a  bank  established  by  a 
provisional  government,  the  result  of  the  war 
was  still  involved  in  great  uncertainty.  If 
in  the  end  they  made  much,  the  risk  that 
they  ran  was  proportionately  great ;  and  we 
have  good  reason  to  believe  to-day,  that  Mr. 
Thomas  Willing,  Mr.  Bingham,  Mr.  Morris, 
Mr.  Meredith,  and  their  associates  in  the  Bank 
of  North  America,  were  actuated  by  the  most 
unselfish  and  patriotic  motives,  the  primary 
use  of  the  funds  of  this  bank  being  for  the 
recruiting  service  and  to  procure  supplies  for 
the  army. 

Mr.  Bingham,  whose  sudden  rise  to  fortune 
and  influence  made  him  the  subject  of  some 
scathing  satires  and  pasquinades  on  the  part 
of  Peter  Markoe  and  other  poets  and  poetas 
ters  of  his  time,  is  now  chiefly  known  as  a 
man  of  large  wealth,  and  as  the  husband  of  a 
beautiful  woman  who  was  a  great  social  leader 
in  Philadelphia  life  in  the  latter  years  of  the 
century,  which  goes  to  prove  that  even  in  days 
of  less  rapid  progress  among  women,  it  was 
possible  for  a  man  to  be  overshadowed  by  the 
brilliancy  of  his  wife.  William  Bingham  was 
a  man  who  accomplished  much  good  work  in 
his  day.  A  graduate  of  the  College  of  Phila- 

137 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

delphia,  he  early  received  a  diplomatic  ap 
pointment  under  the  British  government  to 
Saint  Pierre,  on  the  island  of  Martinique, 
where  he  remained  for  several  years.  Mr. 
Bingham  returned  to  Philadelphia  during  the 
Revolutionary  War,  after  having  for  some 
time  acted  as  Consul  for  the  Continental  Con 
gress  in  Martinique,  and  under  the  new  gov 
ernment  held  the  position  of  United  States 
Senator. 

In  1784  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bingham  visited 
London  and  Paris,  in  both  of  which  cities  the 
American  beauty  was  greatly  admired  and 
feted.  Mr.  Bingham,  being  possessed  of  social 
tastes  as  well  as  distinguished  ability,  made 
many  friends,  some  of  whom  visited  him  in 
his  own  home  in  Philadelphia,  or  at  his 
country-place,  Lansdowne,  on  the  Schuylkill. 

Among  English  friends,  made  by  the  Bing- 
hams  while  abroad,  was  the  Marquess  of 
Lansdowne,  who  had  recently  succeeded  the 
Marquess  of  Rockingham  as  Prime  Minister 
of  England.  Lord  Wycombe,  the  eldest  son 
of  the  Marquess  of  Lansdowne,  visited  Amer 
ica  about  1790.  It  is  said  that  the  Marquess 
of  Lansdowne,  who  as  Lord  Shelburne  had 
helped  to  make  peace  with  the  United  States, 
desired  to  have  his  son  know  something  of  the 
nation  to  which  Great  Britain  had  been  com 
pelled  to  relinquish  her  claim. 

Mr.  Samuel  Breck  gives  an  amusing  ac 
count  of  the  reception  of  Lord  Wycombe  at  a 
Boston  boarding-house.  The  landlady,  Mrs. 

138 


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Eaton,  introduced  the  English  gentleman  as 
Lord  Wickham,  that  probably  being  the  pro 
nunciation  given  by  his  valet;  his  fellow- 
lodgers,  not  being  accustomed  to  the  society 
of  lordships,  concluded  that  "  Lord  "  was  his 
Christian  name,  and  addressed  the  stranger  as 
Mr.  Wickham,  except  when  a  man  from  Salem 
entered  into  the  conversation  and  spoke  to 
him  as  "  Mr.  Wackhim." 

While  in  Philadelphia,  Lord  Wycombe  was 
entertained  by  President  Washington,  and  Mr. 
Samuel  Breck  speaks  of  meeting  him  at  the 
Binghams',  and  at  other  houses.  Mr.  William 
Smith,  a  Member  of  Congress  from  South 
Carolina,  gave  a  ball  in  honor  of  Lord  Wy 
combe.  "At  this  ball,"  says  Mr.  Breck,  "a 
great  belle,  Miss  Sophia  Chew,  teased  him  so 
much  to  dance  with  her  that  he  at  length  very 
reluctantly  consented.  The  poor  man,  high 
born  as  he  was,  had  never  learned  to  dance ; 
yes,  distinguished  as  was  his  birth,  he  did  not 
know  a  single  step.  No  performance,  of 
course,  could  be  more  awkward,  and  he 
seemed  in  agony  the  whole  time.  But  Miss 
Chew,  privileged  as  all  pretty  women  are,  had 
determined  to  dance  with  a  lord ;  so  she  said, 
and  so  persisted  until,  Ion  gr^  mat  gr<?,  the 
stranger  was  obliged  to  submit.  He  was  a 
tall,  thin,  gawky  man  of  twenty  three  or 
twenty  four  years  of  age,  mentally  well  en 
dowed,  though  eccentric." 

For  the  Marquess  of  Lansdowne,  Mrs.  Bing- 
ham  had  a  full-length  portrait  of  President 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Washington  painted  by  Stuart.*  In  a  graceful 
letter,  in  which  the  English  nobleman  ac 
knowledges  the  receipt  of  the  portrait,  he  says 
that  he  considers  the  gift  "  a  very  magnificent 
compliment,"  whose  value  is  enhanced  by  the 
respect  he  feels  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bingham. 
The  letter  concludes  with  the  following  ex 
pressions  upon  the  character  of  the  President : 
"  General  "Washington's  conduct  is  above  all 
praise.  He  has  left  a  noble  example  to  sover 
eigns  and  nations  present,  and  to  come.  I  beg 
you  will  mention  both  me  and  my  sons  to  him 
in  the  most  respectful  terms  possible.  If  I 
was  not  too  old,  I  would  go  to  Virginia  to  do 
him  homage." 
Gilbert  Stuart  painted  more  than  one  por- 


*  There  has  been  much  dispute  with  regard  to  the  owner 
ship  of  this  portrait,  and  some  excellent  authorities  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  original  portrait  is  in  the 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia,  and  that  the  one 
sent  to  the  Marquess  of  Lansdowne  is  a  replica  made  from 
it.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  General  Washington 
sat  to  Stuart  for  a  full-length  portrait  for  Mrs.  Bingham, 
as  he  wrote  to  the  artist,  under  date  of  April  n,  1796  :  "  I 
am  under  promise  to  Mrs.  Bingham  to  sit  for  you  to-morrow, 
at  nine  o'clock,  and  wishing  to  know  if  it  be  convenient  to 
you  that  I  should  do  so,  and  whether  it  shall  be  at  your 
own  house  (as  she  talked  of  the  State  House)  I  send  this 
note  to  ask  information." 

Mr.  John  Nagle  says  that  Stuart  told  him  that  this  por 
trait  of  General  Washingtonwas  bespoken  bythe  Marquess 
of  Lansdowne,  before  he  left  England,  but  that  Mr.  Bing 
ham  asked  for  the  privilege  of  presenting  the  picture  to  the 
Marquess. 

140 


Mrs.  William  Binghai 
Bv  Gilbert  Stuart 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

trait  of  Mrs.  Bingham.  A  charming  head  is 
owned  by  Dr.  Henry  Middleton  Fisher,  of  Al- 
verthorpe,  and  a  graceful  picture  of  the  young 
wife  and  mother,  with  her  children  around  her, 
is  to  be  found  upon  a  huge  unfinished  canvas 
of  Stuart's,  which  was  evidently  intended  to 
adorn  a  large  wall-space  at  Lansdowne.  Mr. 
Bingham's  horse  has  been  brought  to  the  door, 
and  he  stands  ready  to  mount  it,  while  his 
wife  playfully  holds  her  infant  son  upon  the 
horse's  back,  and  an  older  child,  Anne  Louisa, 
stands  by  watching  the  group.  This  picture, 
although  sketchy  and  unfinished,  is  attractive 
in  color  and  composition.  For  many  years  it 
was  in  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  in  the  posses 
sion  of  Miss  Mary  Clymer,  a  niece  of  Mrs. 
Bingham's,  at  whose  death  it  passed  into  the 
possession  of  the  Countess  Jacques  de  Bryas, 
of  Paris,  a  daughter  of  William  Bingham  Cly 
mer,  and  consequently  a  grand-niece  of  Mrs. 
William  Bingham. 

Mrs.  John  Adams  first  met  Mrs.  Bingham 
abroad,  and  was  so  much  charmed  with  her 
beauty  and  grace  that  she  compared  her  thus 
favorably  with  the  celebrated  English  beau 
ties  :  "  I  have  not  seen  a  lady  in  England  who 
can  bear  a  comparison  with  Mrs.  Bingham, 
Mrs.  Platt,  and  a  Miss  Hamilton,  who  is  a 
Philadelphia  young  lady.  Amongst  the  most 
celebrated  of  their  beauties  stands  the  Du 
chess  of  Devonshire,  who  is  masculine  in 
her  appearance.  Lady  Salisbury  is  small  and 
genteel,  but  her  complexion  is  bad ;  and  Lady 

141 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Talbot  is  not  a  Mrs.  Bingham,  who,  taken 
altogether,  is  the  finest  woman  I  ever  saw. 
The  intelligence  of  her  countenance,  or  rather, 
I  ought  to  say,  animation,  the  elegance  of 
her  form,  and  the  affability  of  her  manners, 
convert  you  into  admiration ;  and  one  has 
only  to  lament  too  much  dissipation  and  fri 
volity  of  amusement,  which  have  weaned  her 
from  her  native  country,  and  given  her  a 
passion  and  thirst  after  all  the  luxuries  of 
Europe." 

Despite  Mrs.  Bingham's  enjoyment  of  for 
eign  life  and  fashions,  she  and  her  husband 
returned  to  America  after  a  residence  abroad 
of  less  than  two  years.  Mr.  William  Hamil 
ton,  of  Woodlands,  in  writing  from  London 
to  Dr.  Thomas  Parke,  in  March,  1786,  says  : 
"  Mr.  Bingham  &  his  family  are  to  be  pas 
sengers  with  Willet.  He  takes  two  carriages 
&  8  servants,  &c,  &  imagine  means  to  make 
a  great  Show.  What  a  terrible  thing  would 
it  be  if  the  Lady  was  to  get  into  the  Dey's 
Seraglio." 

No  such  unhappy  fate  as  that  suggested  by 
Mr.  Hamilton  having  overtaken  "  the  Lady," 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bingham  returned  in  safety  to 
Philadelphia,  where  they  soon  after  built  their 
handsome  house  on  the  west  side  of  Third 
Street  above  Spruce.  The  grounds  belonging 
to  Mr.  Bingham's  property,  which  had  been 
used  during  the  British  occupation  as  a  pa 
rade  ground,  extended  to  Fourth  Street.  The 
house  was  set  back  about  forty  feet  from  the 

142 


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line  of  the  street,  and  was  approached  by  a 
circular  carriage-way.  The  entrance  to  the 
house  was  not  raised,  but  brought  the  visitor 
by  a  single  step  to  the  wide  hall,  paved  with 
tessellated  marble,  from  which  a  broad  stair 
way  of  white  mable,  leading  to  the  second 
floor,  gave  the  entrance  an  elegant  and  spa 
cious  appearance.  Mr.  Watson  says  that  the 
grounds,  which  were  carefully  laid  out  and 
contained  beautiful  and  rare  trees,  were  un 
fortunately  enclosed  within  a  high  board  fence 
and  a  close  line  of  Lombardy  poplars,  which 
prevented  passers  by  from  enjoying  the  lovely 
garden. 

While  Mr.  Bingham's  house,  which  was 
modelled  after  the  residence  of  the  Duke  of 
Manchester,  Manchester  Square,  London,  was 
in  course  of  erection,  Mrs.  W^arder  wrote  in 
her  diary  that  she  stopped  on  her  way  home 
from  George  Emlen's,  on  Fourth  Street,  to 
look  at  the  Binghams'  new  house,  which,  she 
says,  "  causes  much  talk  here,  being  upon  a 
new  plan,  but  very  ungenteel,  I  think,  as  it 
much  resembles  some  of  our  heavy  public 
buildings — four  windows  back  and  front,  with 
figures  of  stucco  work." 

Although  Mr.  Bingham's  new  mansion  did 
not  meet  with  the  approval  of  the  English 
Quakeress,  Mrs.  Warder,  it  was  greatly  ad 
mired  by  Philadelphians  and  by  many  visitors, 
and  was  sufficiently  elegant  in  its  appoint 
ments  to  draw  forth  some  shafts  of  sarcasm 
from  Peter  Markoe  and  other  persons  of 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

socialistic  tendencies.*  In  his  verses  upon 
"  The  Times,"  which  were  evidently  "out  of 
joint"  for  him,  Mr.  Markoe  wrote: 

"  Rapax,  the  muse  has  slightly  touched  thy  crimes, 
And  dares  to  wake  thee  from  thy  golden  dream, 
In  peculation's  various  arts  supreme — 
Tho'  to  thy  '  mansion  '  wits  and  fops  repair, 
To  game,  to  feast,  to  flatter,  and  to  stare. 
But  say,  from  what  bright  deeds  dost  thou  derive 
That  "wealth  which  bids  thee  rival  British  Clive  ? 
Wrung  from  the  hardy  sons  of  toil  and  war, 
By  arts,  which  petty  scoundrels  would  abhor." 

In  her  spacious  and  beautiful  home  on  Third 
Street  above  Spruce,  Mrs.  Bingham  was  sur 
rounded  by  her  family.  The  grounds  of  her 
father's  house,  on  the  same  street,  joined  her 
garden,  while  her  aunts,  Mrs.  Byrd  and  Mrs. 
Powel,  both  had  elegant  establishments  on 
Third  Street.f  The  Reverend  Dr.  Blackwell, 
who  had  married  Mr.  Bingham's  sister,  lived 
on  Pine  Street  above  Third,  and  at  187  South 
Third  Street  Mrs.  Bingham's  sister,  Elizabeth, 
resided  after  her  marriage  with  Major  William 
Jackson. 

*  This  house,  the  scene  of  so  many  brilliant  entertain 
ments,  was  afterwards  used  as  a  hotel, — a  well-appointed 
and  most  fashionable  resort,  called  the  "  Mansion  House," 
— which  was  kept  by  William  Renshaw,  and  afterwards  by 
Joseph  Head. 

f  Mr.  Thomas  Willing's  house,  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  Third  and  Willing's  Alley,  which  was  built  by  John 
Palmer  in  1745,  was  afterwards  used  for  the  offices  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company. 

144 


Mrs.  William  Byrd 
By  Cosmo  Alexander 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mrs.  William  Byrd  was  Mr.  Charles  Wil- 
ling's  daughter  Mary.  She  married  the  third 
Colonel  Byrd,  of  Westover.  Although  their 
home  was  at  the  family  seat  in  Virginia,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Byrd  spent  much  time  in  Philadel 
phia,  where  Mr.  Willing  had  built  them  a 
house.  Edward  Burd,*  who,  in  his  numerous 
letters  to  friends  and  relatives,  gives  some  inti 
mate  and  graphic  pictures  of  the  gayer  side 
of  Philadelphia  life,  wrote  of  this  lady  some 
years  after  her  marriage  :  "  I  had  the  Happi 
ness  of  being  introduced  last  Sunday  to  my 
Cousin  Mrs.  Byrd  from  Virginia,  and  of  tasting 
her  sweet  Lips — a  Happiness  seldom  enjoyed 
here  by  the  People  of  Fashion,  which  is  a 
Tyrant  that  I  am  afraid  will  in  time  be  the 
Destruction  of  all  social  Pleasures. 

Mr.  Wansey  speaks  in  his  journal  of  dining 
at  the  Binghams',  and  finding  the  house  and 
garden  in  the  best  English  style,  the  drawing- 
room  chairs  from  Seddons,  in  London,  the 
carpet  one  of  Moore's  most  expensive  pat 
terns,  and  the  paper  in  French  taste,  after  the 
style  of  the  Vatican  at  Rome.  This  rather 
curious  mingling  of  styles  Mr.  Wansey  thought 
very  handsome  and  effective.  The  guests  at 

*This  is  Edward  Burd,  whose  mother  was  Sarah  Ship- 
pen.  He  married  his  cousin,  Elizabeth  Shippen,  a  sister 
of  Mrs.  Benedict  Arnold.  Mr.  Burd  was  a  stanch  Whig, 
commanded  a  company  of  volunteers,  and  was  taken  pris 
oner  at  the  Battle  of  Long  Island.  His  letters  have  recently 
been  privately  printed  by  Lewis  Burd  Walker,  of  Potts- 
ville,  Pennsylvania. 

10  145 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

this  dinner  were  "  Mr.  Willing,  president  of  the 
bank  of  the  United  States,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Bingham ;  Mons.  Cailot,  the  exiled  Governor 
of  Guadaloupe ;  and  the  famous  Viscount  de 
Noailles,  who  distinguished  himself  so  much 
in  the  first  National  Constituent  Assembly,  on 
August  4,  1789,  by  his  propositions,  and  his 
speech,  on  that  occasion,  for  the  abolition  of 
feudal  rights.  He  is  now  engaged  in  forming 
a  settlement  with  other  unfortunate  Country 
men,  about  sixty-five  miles  north  of  North 
umberland  Town.  It  is  called  '  Asylum,'  and 
stands  on  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Susque- 
hanah." 

President  Washington  was  a  frequent  visitor 
at  the  Binghams',  his  official  and  unofficial 
relations  with  Mr.  Bingham  being  of  the  most 
friendly  nature,  while  Mrs.  Bingham  he  had 
known  from  her  girlhood. 

It  is  evident  that  this  young  woman,  who 
drew  around  her  the  best  and  brightest  men 
of  her  day,  possessed  a  charm  beyond  and 
above  her  great  beauty.  "Washington,  who 
was  an  accurate  reader  of  character,  admired 
and  liked  Mrs.  Bingham,  and  John  Jay,  who 
had  shown  so  much  wisdom  in  his  own  matri 
monial  choice,  wrote  to  Mr.  Bingham  at  the 
time  of  his  marriage,  "  As  I  am  always  pleased 
to  find  those  happy  whom  I  think  deserve  to 
be  so,  it  gave  me  very  sensible  satisfaction  to 
hear  that  you  had  both  made  so  judicious  a 
choice,  notwithstanding  the  veil  which  that 
sv/eet  fascinating  passion  often  draws  over  our 
146 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

eyes  and  understanding."  Mr.  Jefferson  was 
a  warm  friend  and  admirer  of  the  Philadelphia 
beauty,  whom  he  first  met  in  Paris,  and  with 
whom  he  afterwards  corresponded.  In  writing 
to  Mrs.  Bingham  after  her  return  to  America, 
he  thus  half  playfully,  half  seriously  alluded 
to  a  discussion  that  they  had  had  upon  the 
relative  attractions  of  life  at  home  and  abroad : 
"I  know,  madam,  that  the  twelve-month  is 
not  yet  expired  ;  but  it  will  be,  nearly,  before 
this  will  have  the  honor  of  being  put  into  your 
hands.  You  are  then  engaged  to  tell  me,  truly 
and  honestly,  whether  you  do  not  find  the 
tranquil  pleasures  of  America  preferable  to  the 
empty  bustle  of  Paris.  For  to  what  does  that 
bustle  tend  ?  At  eleven  o'clock  it  is  day,  c.hfz 
madamc.  The  curtains  are  drawn.  Propped  on 
bolsters  and  pillows,  and  her  head  scratched 
into  a  little  order,  the  bulletins  of  the  sick  are 
read,  and  the  billets  of  the  well.  She  \vrites  to 
some  of  her  acquaintances  and  receives  the 
visits  of  others.  If  the  morning  is  not  very 
thronged,  she  is  able  to  get  out  and  hobble 
round  the  cage  of  the  Palais  Royal ;  but  she 
must  hobble  quickly,  for  the  coiffeur  s  turn  is 
come;  and  a  tremendous  turn  it  is!  Happy, 
if  he  does  not  make  her  arrive  when  dinner  is 
half  over!  The  torpitude  of  digestion  a  little 
passed,  she  flutters  half  an  hour  through  the 
streets,  by  way  of  paying  visits,  and  then  to 
the  spectacles.  These  finished,  another  half 
hour  is  devoted  to  dodging  in  and  out  of  the 
doors  of  her  very  sincere  friends,  and  away  to 

M7 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

supper.  After  supper,  cards  ;  and  after  cards, 
bed;  to  rise  at  noon  the  next  day,  and  to  tread, 
like  a  mill-horse,  the  same  trodden  circle  over 
again.  ...  If  death  or  bankruptcy  happen  to 
trip  us  out  of  the  circle,  it  is  matter  for  the 
buzz  of  the  evening,  and  is  completely  for 
gotten  by  the  next  morning.  In  America,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  society  of  your  husband, 
the  fond  cares  for  the  children,  the  arrange 
ments  of  the  house,  the  improvements  of  the 
grounds,  fill  every  moment  with  a  healthy 
and  an  useful  activity.  .  .  .  The  intervals  of 
leisure  are  filled  by  the  society  of  real  friends, 
whose  affections  are  not  thinned  to  cobweb  by 
being  spread  over  a  thousand  objects.  This  is 
the  picture,  in  the  light  it  is  presented  to  my 
mind;  now  let  me  have  it  in  yours." 

Unfortunately,  Mrs.  Bingham's  reply  to  this 
charming  letter  is  not  available.  We  may 
believe,  however,  that  she  ably  defended  her 
side  of  the  question. 

One  contemporary  speaks  of  Mrs.  Bingham's 
beauty,  another  of  the  grace  of  her  figure  and 
the  elegance  of  her  bearing  ;  but  the  one  prob 
ably  who  best  understood  her  charm,  says  : 
"  Her  manners  were  a  gift.  With  advantages, 
personal,  social,  and  external,  such  as  hardly 
ever  fail  to  excite  envy  from  her  sex,  such  was 
her  easy  and  happy  turn  of  feeling,  and  such 
the  fortunate  cast  of  her  natural  manners, 
that  she  seemed  never  to  excite  the  sting  of 
unkindness,  nor  so  much  as  awaken  its  slum-. 
ber  or  repose.  Her  entertainments  were  dis- 
148 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tinguished  not  more  for  their  superior  style 
and  frequency  than  for  the  happy  and  discreet 
selection  of  her  guests." 

When  Mr.  Jefferson,  Chief-Justice  Jay  and 
his  beautiful  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oliver  Wol- 
cott,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Hopkinson,  and  Mr. 
Madison  and  his  "Dolly,"  who  possessed  so 
much  social  charm,  met  in  the  drawing-room 
of  Mrs.  Bingham,  and  there  found  the  Due  de 
Liancourt,  the  Vicomte  de  Noailles,  the  great 
ecclesiastical  diplomat  Talleyrand,  and  the 
traveller  Volney,  who,  if  "  peevish  and  sour 
tempered,"  possessed  a  vast  fund  of  informa 
tion,  we  may  believe  that  there  was  no  lack  of 
brilliant  conversation.  Whether  the  discussion 
turned  upon  foreign  life  and  fashions,  or  upon 
politics  at  home,  or  the  stirring  events  then 
transpiring  in  the  Old  World,  it  was  worthy 
of  any  salon  of  Paris  or  London.  Here  also 
came  young  Mr.  Breck,  who  had  been  edu 
cated  abroad,  and  being  upon  intimate  terms 
with  the  foreign  noblemen,  was  ever  ready 
to  assist  his  hostess  in  drawing  together  the 
various  elements  in  her  drawing-room.  Nor 
was  this  a  difficult  task  when  Mr.  Jeffer 
son  and  Mr.  Hamilton  were  present,  as  they 
both  possessed  an  unlimited  capacity  for  being 
interested  in  people  and  matters  outside  of 
their  own  especial  lines,  while  Judge  Peters 
was  most  helpful  in  his  ability  to  stem  the 
tide  of  a  too  serious  discussion  by  one  of  his 
"  twisted  quirks  and  happy  hits."  Another 
brilliant  guest  was  Mrs.  John  Adams,  fresh 

149 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

from  foreign  fields  of  observation,  with  a 
tongue  as  ready  as  her  pen,  clear,  discrimi 
nating,  and  penetrating  to  the  heart  of  things, 
yet  always  too  honest  and  fair-minded  to  be 
ill-natured.  It  was  Mrs.  Adams  who  said  of 
Mrs.  Bingham  that  she  had  come  home  from 
Europe  to  give  the  laws  to  Philadelphia  women 
in  fashion  and  elegance,  and  these  laws  they 
seem  to  have  followed  with  no  thought  of 
rebellion. 

It  is  said  that  Queen  Marie  Antoinette,  in 
the  days  of  her  youth  and  gayety,  one  day 
picked  up  an  ostrich  plume  and  carelessly 
stuck  it  in  her  hair.  The  young  Dauphiness 
saw  that  the  feather  was  becoming,  the  court 
ladies  told  her  that  she  looked  beautiful  in  a 
high  coiffure, — as,  indeed,  she  did  in  everything 
that  she  put  on  her  pretty  young  head, — and 
then  more  feathers  were  added,  and  flowers, 
and  pearls,  and  what  not  else,  until  a  head 
gear  was  reared  that  threatened,  like  that  other 
structure  of  Holy  Writ,  "to  reach  even  unto 
heaven."  As  the  gay  court  of  Paris  followed 
the  fashions  of  the  royal  beauty,  so  did  the 
worldly  minded  fair  of  Philadelphia  adopt  those 
of  Mrs.  Bingham. 

Flattered,  admired,  and  sought  after,  it  is 
not  strange  that  this  lady  should  at  times 
have  been  arbitrary  and  even  captious.  When 
Thomas  Wignell  opened  the  New  Theatre,  as 
it  was  long  called,  Mrs.  Bingham  offered  to 
take  one  of  the  private  boxes  "  at  any  price  to 
be  fixed  by  the  manager,"  and  to  decorate  and 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

furnish  the  box  herself,  provided  she  might 
keep  the  key,  and  no  person  be  allowed  to  enter 
the  box  without  her  consent.  The  proposi 
tion  was  certainly  a  complex  one  to  a  manager 
entering  upon  what  then  seemed  a  large  finan 
cial  venture.  Mr.  Wignell  was  sorely  tempted. 
He  recognized  all  the  advantages  to  his  theatre, 
that  would  result  from  having  one  of  his  boxes 
used  by  so  great  a  social  favorite  and  leader 
of  fashion  as  Mrs.  Bingham  ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  clearly  realized,  says  Thomas  Wood, 
that  he  must  "  act  on  the  principles  of  his 
country's  government,  and  on  the  recognition 
of  feelings  deeply  pervading  the  structure  of 
its  society ;  to  hold  all  men  « free '  to  come  into 
his  house  and  'equal'  while  they  continued 
to  be  and  behave  themselves  in  it."  In  con 
sideration  of  this  democratic  view  of  the  situ 
ation,  Mr.  Wignell  politely,  and  with  many 
expressions  of  gratitude  for  her  consideration, 
declined  Mrs.  Bingham's  offer,  and  thus  for 
feited  the  patronage  of  the  most  influential 
woman  in  Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Bingham,  who 
was  not  used  to  denials,  seldom — some  per 
sons  say  never — entered  the  New  Theatre  on 
Chestnut  Street.  It  is  interesting  to  learn 
that  the  success  of  this  theatre  justified  its 
manager's  policy,  and  that  the  haughty  beauty 
in  the  end  suffered  more  than  the  manager,  as 
many  interesting  representations  were  given 
upon  its  stage.  Mrs.  Oldmixen,  Mrs.  Whit- 
lock,  Mrs.  Morris,  and  Mrs.  Marshall  were 
then  acting  for  Mr.  Wignell.  Mrs.  Whitlock 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

belonged  to  the  Siddons  family,  so  distin 
guished  for  its  histrionic  ability,  which  was 
later  to  be  represented  in  this  city  by  Frances 
Anne  Kernble. 

All  strangers  of  distinction  naturally  found 
their  way  to  the  Binghams'  hospitable  home. 
Mr.  Thomas  Twining  describes  a  large  dinner 
party  at  Mrs.  Bingham's,  where  he  met  the 
Vicomte  de  Noailles,  Comte  de  Tilly,  M.  Vol- 
ney,  the  two  Messrs.  Baring,  and  several 
members  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre 
sentatives. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  three  of  the  guests 
at  this  dinner  married  Mr.  Bingham's  two 
daughters.  Alexander  Baring,  the  elder  of  the 
two  brothers  who  were  in  America,  and  the 
second  son  of  Sir  Francis  Baring,  married 
Anne  Louisa  Bingham  in  1798,  she  being 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage  in  her  sixteenth 
year.*  Mr.  Bingham's  second  daughter,  Maria 
Matilda,  married  the  gentleman  whom  Mr. 
Twining  calls  "  Count  Tilley," — James  Alex- 


*The  Honorable  Alexander  Baring  was  in  1835  raised  to 
the  peerage  as  Baron  Ashburton  of  Ashburton,  County 
Devon.  His  son,  William  Bingham  Baring,  married  Har 
riet  Mary,  daughter  of  Lord  Sandwich.  Hence,  the  Lord 
Ashburton  so  often  spoken  of  in  Mrs.  Carlyle's  letters  was 
the  grandson  of  the  Philadelphia  beauty  of  the  last  cen 
tury,  and  his  wife,  the  English  precieuse  who  was  a  warm 
friend  of  John  Stuart  Mill,  Charles  Buller,  Thomas  Car- 
lyle,  and  other  men  of  letters,  was  the  Lady  Ashburton 
•who  raised  such  a  storm  of  unreasonable  jealousy  in  the 
sensitive,  unsatisfied  soul  of  Jane  Welsh  Carlyle. 

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ander,  Comte  de  Tilly.  This  marriage  was  an 
unhappy  one,  and  the  Countess  de  Tilly  after 
wards  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Baring,  who 
was  also  her  father's  guest  at  the  dinner  de 
scribed  by  Mr.  Twining. 

A  number  of  foreign  marriages  were  made 
at  this  time.  Among  interesting  figures  in  the 
diplomatic  circle  were  Francois  Barbe-Mar- 
bois,  who  came  to  the  United  States  with  M. 
de  la  Luzerne  as  his  secretary,  the  Senor 
Martinez  de  Yrujo,  Spanish  Minister  to  the 
United  States,  and  David  Montague  Erskine, 
afterwards  Lord  Erskine,  who,  while  he  was 
Secretary  to  the  British  Legation,  married 
Frances  Cadwalader. 

M.  Barbe-Marbois,  who  was  later  Intendant 
of  Saint  Domingo  and  attained  a  high  rank  in 
diplomatic  circles,  married  Elizabeth  Moore, 
of  Philadelphia,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Moore, 
and  a  great-granddaughter  of  the  first  Thomas 
Lloyd.  M.  Marbois  played  an  important  part 
in  the  negotiations  for  the  sale  of  Louisiana  to 
the  United  States. 

The  Senor  Martinez  de  Yrujo,  who  was 
afterwards  created  Marquis  de  Casa  Yrujo,  is 
described  as  appearing  at  Congress  Hall,  ar 
rayed  in  great  magnificence,  to  witness  the 
inauguration  of  President  John  Adams.  "  He 
was,"  says  a  contemporary  writer,  "of  middle 
size,  of  round  person,  florid  complexion,  and 
hair  powdered  like  a  snow  ball ;  dark  striped 
silk  coat,  lined  with  satin ;  white  waistcoat, 
black  silk  breeches,  white  silk  stockings,  shoes 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  buckles.  He  had  by  his  side  an  elegant- 
hilted  small-sword,  and  his  chapeau,  tipped 
with  white  feathers,  under  his  arm."  It  is  not 
strange  that  Miss  Sally  McKean  should  have 
lost  her  heart  to  this  resplendent  cavalier, 
whom  she  met  at  a  dinner  soon  after  his  ar 
rival  in  Philadelphia.  Among  the  guests  at 
this  dinner  were  Sir  Robert  Liston,  the  British 
Minister,  and  Lady  Liston,  Volney  the  trav 
eller,  Gilbert  Stuart,  and  Mrs.  Henry  Clymer 
and  her  sister,  Mrs.  William  Bingham.  A  con 
temporary  writer,  in  describing  the  meeting  of 
Miss  McKean  and  her  future  husband,  says  : 
"  Among  the  first  to  arrive  was  Chief  Justice 
McKean,  accompanied  by  his  lovely  daughter, 
Miss  Sally  McKean.  Miss  McKean  had  many 
admirers,  but  her  heart  "was  still  her  own. 
She  wore  a  blue  satin  dress  trimmed  with 
white  crape  and  flowers,  and  petticoat  of  white 
crape  richly  embroidered,  and  across  the  front 
a  festoon  of  rose  color  caught  up  with  flowers. 
.  .  .  The  next  to  arrive  was  Senor  Don  Carlos 
Martinez  de  Yrujo,  a  stranger  to  almost  all  the 
guests.  He  spoke  with  ease,  but  with  a  for 
eign  accent,  and  was  soon  lost  in  amazement 
at  the  grace  and  beauty  of  Miss  McKean.  .  .  . 
The  acquaintance  thus  commenced,  resulted 
in  the  marriage  of  Miss  McKean  to  Senor 
Martinez  de  Yrujo  at  Philadelphia,  April  10, 
1798." 

Mrs.  Bingham  was  in  the  full  maturity  of 
her  beauty  at  this  time,  which  was  the  year 
of  her  daughter's  marriage  to  the  Honorable 

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Alexander  Baring.  The  mother  of  thirty-four 
and  the  bride  of  sixteen  were  often  mistaken  for 
sisters.  Elizabeth  Willing,  Mrs.  Bingham's 
younger  sister,  had  been  married  only  a  few 
years  earlier  to  Major  William  Jackson,  who 
was  aide-de-camp  and  private  secretary  to  Presi 
dent  Washington.  The  wedding  of  Elizabeth 
Willing,  in  her  father's  house  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  Third  Street  and  Willing's  Alley, 
was  one  of  the  brilliant  social  functions  of  the 
Washington  administration.  Mrs.  Bingham 
acted  the  part  of  a  mother  to  her  younger 
sister,  and  assisted  her  father  in  receiving 
such  honored  wedding  guests  as  the  President 
and  Lady  Washington,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
Morris,  Alexander  Hamilton,  General  Knox, 
General  Lincoln,  a  warm  personal  friend  of 
the  groom,  and  the  Vicomte  de  Noailles. 

The  presence  of  Major  and  Mrs.  Jackson 
naturally  added  much  to  the  attractiveness  of 
Mrs.  Bingham's  entertainments,  as  did  that  of 
her  sisters,  Mrs.  Henry  Clymer  and  Dorothy 
and  Abigail  Willing.  Abigail,  the  youngest 
of  Mr.  Willing's  daughters,  was  greatly  ad 
mired  by  Louis  Philippe,  Duke  of  Orleans,  and 
afterwards  King  of  the  French.  This  young 
nobleman  was  a  frequent  guest  at  the  Wil- 
lings'  and  Binghams',  where  he  saw  Miss 
Willing  surrounded  by  all  the  charm  of  social 
and  domestic  life.  Mrs.  John  Redman  Coxe, 
in  one  of  her  letters  to  her  sister  and  brother 
in  South  Carolina,  thus  retails  the  on  dit  of  the 
day  with  regard  to  this  affair  :  "  It  is  reported 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

that  Abby  Willing  is  to  be  married  to  the  Duke 
of  Orleans  who  you  know  arrived  some  time 
before  you  left  us — I  do  not  know  whether  it 

is  correct,  but  it  is  the  general  report "  In 

another  letter  Mrs.  Coxe  says :  "  Miss  Wil- 
ling's  match  is  broken  off — the  reason  is  never 
to  be  known.  It  was  thought  a  very  extraor 
dinary  thing  at  the  beginning  &  this  has  not 

lessened  the  surprise  of  the  natives "  The 

"  reason,"  which  Mrs.  Coxe  and  the  rest  of 
the  gay  world  did  not  know,  may  be  found  in 
the  story  afterwards  told,  which  is  worth  re 
peating,  as  it  reveals  the  rare  common  sense 
and  self-respect  of  Mr.  Willing.  It  is  said 
that  when  the  Duke  of  Orleans  made  his  formal 
demande  for  the  hand  of  his  daughter,  Mr.  Wil 
ling  replied,  with  true  republicanism,  yet  with 
the  tact  and  grace  of  a  courtier :  "  Should  you 
ever  be  restored  to  your  hereditary  position 
you  will  be  too  great  a  match  for  her ;  if  not 
she  is  too  great  a  match  for  you." 

Instead  of  the  questionable  future  of  mar 
rying  a  King  of  France,  there  was  reserved  for 
Abigail  Willing  the  more  serene,  if  less  event 
ful,  career  of  becoming  the  wife  of  a  Philadel 
phia  lawyer.  Miss  Willing,  a  few  years  later, 
married  Richard  Peters,  a  son  of  Judge  Peters. 

Among  charming  maids  and  matrons  of  the 
Republican  capital  were  Nelly  Custis  ;  her 
three  girl  friends,  Elizabeth  Bordley,  Martha 
Coffin,  and  Maria  Jefferson,  who  married  her 
cousin,  Mr.  Eppes ;  Mrs.  John  Travis  ;  Mrs. 
William  Lewis,  an  Irish  beauty ;  Mrs.  Wil- 

156 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

liam  Rawle,  a  lovely  Quakeress,  and  Mrs. 
John  Cox,  who,  with  her  half  dozen  fair 
daughters,  left  her  quiet  home  in  New  Jersey 
to  enjoy  the  gayeties  of  city  life.  In  one  of 
Miss  Sarah  Cox's  letters,  undated,  but  evi 
dently  written  in  February,  1797,  as  she  refers 
to  the  last  birthnight  ball  given  to  President 
Washington  in  Philadelphia,  she  says:  "The 
common  topic  of  conversation  here  is  the 
Birth  night,  which  is  next  Wednesday.  It  is 
to  be  the  most  superb  entertainment  I  hear 
that  ever  has  been  here;  It  is  to  be  in  the 
same  place  it  was  last  year — I  suppose  it  will 
be  a  genteel  mob — for  I  believe  everybody  is 
going, — They  all  say  it  is  to  be  the  last  time 
we  shall  ever  have  it  in  our  power  to  celebrate 
the  Birthday  of  our  good  President,  that  they 
will  go  at  all  events — Half  Trenton  is  down 
already  &  I  hear  that  all  Princeton  will  be  here 
— Mrs  Dr  Smith  has  come  to  go  although  she 
is  quite  lame  with  the  rheumatism,  but  you 
know  what  a  good  Federalist  she  is. 

"  I  talk  of  taking  two  pair  of  shoes  with  me 
for  I  danced  one  pair  nearly  out  at  the  last 
Assembly  and  I  am  sure  if  I  could  do  that 
when  it  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  President, 
what  shall  I  do  when  I  have  his  presence  to 
inspire  me." 

An  interesting  element  in  the  social  life 
of  the  time  was  introduced  by  the  French 
JmigrJes  who  were  in  America  in  the  latter 
years  of  the  century.  Many  French  officers 
and  noblemen  who  had  served  under  General 

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Washington  returned  to  America,  during  and 
after  the  French  Revolution,  to  avail  them 
selves  of  the  free  institutions  of  the  Republic 
to  which  they  had  tendered  their  services. 

Mr.  Samuel  Breck,  whose  father  entertained 
with  great  hospitality  in  his  home  on  High 
Street,  says,  "  I  knew  personally  Talleyrand, 
Beaumais,  Vicomte  de  Noailles,  the  Due  de 
Liancourt,  Volney,  and  subsequently  Louis 
Philippe,  the  present  King  of  the  French,  and 
his  two  brothers,  the  Dues  de  Montpensier 
and  Beaujolais."  The  Duke  of  Orleans,  or  M. 
d'Orleans,  as  he  was  called,  was  entertained 
in  Philadelphia,  says  Mr.  Breck,  by  Mr.  David 
H.  Conyngham,  who  was  then  living  on  Front 
Street.  The  Duke  of  Orleans  was  afterwards 
joined  by  his  brothers,  the  Dukes  of  Mont 
pensier  and  Beaujolais.  These  three  Princes 
made  a  tour  through  the  United  States,  travel 
ling  on  horseback  to  Pittsburgh,  equipped  like 
Western  traders,  having  a  blanket  over  their 
saddles  and  their  saddle-bags  under  them. 
The  brothers  afterwards  visited  Washington 
at  Mount  Vernon.  Upon  their  return  to 
Philadelphia,  the  Duke  of  Orleans  hired  very 
humble  lodgings  in  Prune  Street,  over  a  bar 
ber-shop,  says  a  writer  of  the  time.  The 
apartment  of  this  future  monarch  "was  so  in 
adequately  furnished  that,  upon  the  occasion 
of  a  small  dinner-party  given  by  him,  he  was 
obliged  to  seat  half  of  his  guests  on  the  bed. 

Mr.  Breck  speaks  of  a  more  than  casual 
acquaintance  with  the  exiled  Bishop  of  Au- 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

tun,  and  once,  when  Alexander  Hamilton  was 
pleading  one  of  his  great  cases,  Talleyrand  sat 
in  the  court-room  with  him,  listening  to  the 
masterly  logic  and  eloquence  of  the  brilliant 
advocate. 

The  Vicomte  de  Noailles  he  describes  as 
tall,  graceful,  handsome,  possessed  of  a  perfect 
figure,  the  first  amateur  dancer  of  the  age,  and 
with  great  charm  of  manner.  Having  saved 
a  fragment  of  his  fortune  from  the  general 
wreck  of  the  French  Revolution,  the  young 
nobleman  entered  into  business  in  Philadel 
phia,  and  "  every  day  at  the  coffee  house,  or 
exchange,  where  the  merchants  met,  the  ex- 
nobleman  was  the  busiest  of  the  busy,  holding 
his  bank-book  in  one  hand  and  a  broker  or  a 
merchant  by  the  button  with  the  other,  while 
he  drove  his  bargains  as  earnestly  as  any 
regular-bred  son  of  a  counting-house." 

In  addition  to  the  Frenchmen  who  came  here 
during  the  Revolution,  there  also  immigrated 
to  America,  from  Saint  Domingo,  a  large  num 
ber  of  its  leading  citizens,  who  with  their  fami 
lies  were  driven  hither  by  the  uprising  in  the 
island  which  followed  so  close  upon  that  in 
France.  Again,  in  the  early  years  of  the  next 
century,  while  Dessalines  was  exercising  his 
brutal  will  over  the  unfortunate  island,  a  num 
ber  of  French  exiles  came  to  Philadelphia. 
In  one  or  other  of  these  immigrations,  came  the 
Sigoignes,  Tesseires,  Monges,  de  la  Roches, 
Guillous,  Clapiers,  and  many  other  French 
families  of  education  and  refinement.  Some 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  these  men  and  women  thoroughly  identified 
themselves  with  the  interests  of  the  country 
to  which  they  had  come,  and  have  been  num 
bered  among  its  best  citizens. 

In  1806  General  John  Victor  Moreau,  one  of 
the  Marshals  of  the  Empire,  came  to  Phila 
delphia  with  his  wife.  Miss  Mary  Binney  and 
Mrs.  John  Cox  both  speak  with  enthusiasm  of 
the  elegance  and  accomplishments  of  Madame 
Moreau.  Miss  Binney,  in  a  letter  written  to 
Mrs.  Simon  Jackson,  in  Newtown,  Massachu 
setts,  says  :  "  Madame  Moreau,  wife  of  the 
General,  is  at  present  the  magnet  of  all  at 
traction.  Her  accomplishments  are  indeed 
wonderful,  and  it  seems  to  me  her  husband 
takes  his  consequence  from  her  now,  however 
he  reflected  honor  in  France.  Tout  le  monde 
thinks  and  talks  of  Madame  Moreau,  parties 
of  splendor  and  balls  are  consequently  given 
for  her.  Indeed  she  plays  on  the  piano,  harp, 
guitar,  and  tambourine  infinitely  better  than 
any  one  in  our  own  country,  and  is  the  most 
perfectly  graceful  little  fairy  on  the  floor  my 
eyes  ever  beheld.  I  am  just  getting  steady 
from  a  ball  in  the  neighborhood  where  she 
danced  the  waltz  to  the  admiration  of  about 
two  hundred  people.  As  I  suppose  my  cousin 
will  be  interested  (in  the  nursery)  with  the 
ball  dresses  of  Philadelphia,  I  must  first  tell 
you  that  Madame  Moreau  changes  her  dress 
every  night,  as  most  ladies  do ;  one  night  she 
will  wear  a  wreath  of  diamonds  as  large  as 
large  peas  through  her  hair,  with  necklace  ear- 
160 


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rings,  hair  comb  etc,  of  the  same,  and  another 
night  her  ornaments  are  all  beautiful  pearls. 
Our  belles  content  themselves  with  ostrich 
feathers  which  are  universally  worn,  and  gold 
and  silver  trimmings  of  one  kind  and  another. 
Now  done  to  this  frippery,  and  let  me  turn 
where  my  heart  most  certainly  is,  to  your 
sweet  retirement  and  my  uncle's  loved  Spring 
Hill." 

In  one  of  Mrs.  John  Cox's  letters,  in  which 
she  gives  her  daughter,  Mrs.  James  Chestnut, 
of  Camden,  South  Carolina,  so  much  of  the 
gossip,  gay  and  grave,  of  the  Philadelphia 
world,  she  speaks  of  the  gayety  of  the  winter 
of  1806.  There  being  no  Assembly  that  season, 
she  says  that  there  have  been  many  private 
balls,  given  by  Mrs.  Nicklin,  Mrs.  Lewis,  Mrs. 
John  Bradford  Wallace,  and  by  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  John  Redman  Coxe,  in  addition  to  which 
a  number  of  musical  parties  were  given  in 
Madame  Moreau's  honor.  "Her  accomplish 
ments,"  says  Mrs.  Cox,  "  are  the  constant 
theme.  Her  performance  on  the  Harp,  Piano, 
Tamborine  &c  are  greater  than  has  ever  been 
exhibited  here  and  her  dancing  exceeds  all 
praise."  With  great  pride  in  her  daughter 
Elizabeth's  simple,  domestic  tastes,  the  result 
of  her  country  bringing  up,  the  good  mother 
adds  :  "I  must  tell  you  of  Betsy's  speech  last 
week — I  went  there  in  the  evening,  when  she 
was  dressed  &  waiting  for  the  carriage  to  take 
her  to  M™  Nicklin's  Ball  *  Oh  !  how  I  wish 
I  lived  in  the  country  [she  exclaimed]  where  I 
ii  161 


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need  not  have  this  trouble  of  dressing  &  being 
in  a  crowd — I  could  be  content  never  to  Dance 
but  on  the  green  with  my  children.' "  * 

Most  of  the  foreign  visitors,  and  many  of 
the  cabinet  officers  and  American  statesmen 
who  came  to  Philadelphia  during  the  first 
and  second  administrations,  found  their  way 
to  another  drawing-room,  very  different  from 
that  of  Mrs.  Bingham,  but  equally  charming 
and  distinguished  in  its  way.  Mrs.  George 
Logan,  of  Stenton,  was  far  too  consistent  a 
Friend  to  have  called  the  circle  of  intellectual 
men  and  women  which  she  gathered  around 
her  by  the  worldly  French  title  of  salon ;  but 
such  it  was  to  all  intents  and  purposes.  Here, 
in  her  country-place,  Stenton,  situated  on  the 
Germantown  Road  above  Nicetown,  in  a  spa 
cious  house  built  by  the  first  James  Logan, 
the  elegant  and  cultivated  Quaker  lady  drew 
around  her  an  interesting  and  appreciative 
little  coterie. 

President  Washington  visited  the  Logans  at 
Stenton,  and  Mrs.  Logan  has  left  a  pleasant 
picture  of  the  great  soldier  and  statesman. 
Dr.  George  Logan  had  been  making  some  ex 
periments  upon  his  farm  which  interested 
Washington,  who,  like  Jefferson,  was  always 
a  farmer,  no  matter  what  other  subjects  might 
claim  his  attention.  "  He  came,"  says  Mrs. 


*  This  was  Elizabeth  Cox,who  married  the  distinguished 
lawyer,  Horace  Binney.     The  Mrs.  Nicklin  who  gave  the 
ball  was  probably  Mrs.  Philip  Nicklin,— Juliana  Chew. 
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Logan,  "  with  his  friend  Daniel  Jennifer,  Esq, 
of  Maryland,  who  had  often  before  been  with 
us,  and  passed  a  day  at  Stenton  in  the  most 
social  and  friendly  manner  imaginable,  de 
lighted  with  the  fine  grass-land  and  beautiful 
experiments  with  gypsum,  some  of  which 
plainly  showed  initials  and  words  traced  with 
it  upon  the  sod  of  a  far  richer  hue  and  thick 
ness  than  the  surrounding  grass,  and  other 
subjects  of  rural  economy  which  Dr.  Logan 
then  had  to  show.  His  praise  conferred  dis 
tinction.  Nor  did  he  make  me  less  happy  by 
his  pleasing  attention  to  myself  and  his  kind 
notice  of  my  children,  whom  he  caressed  in 
the  most  endearing  manner,  placing  my  little 
boy  on  his  knee,  and  taking  my  infant  in  his 
arms  with  commendations  that  made  their 
way  immediately  to  a  mother's  heart." 

In  the  home  of  her  girlhood  Mrs.  Logan, 
then  Deborah  Norris,  had  been  accustomed  to 
meeting  many  interesting  and  distinguished 
persons,  who  were  drawn  to  the  fireside  of  the 
Quaker  widow,  says  Mrs.  Wister,  "  by  the 
lively  common  sense  of  her  talk."  Deborah 
Norris  lost  her  father  when  she  was  under 
five  years  of  age,  and  to  her  mother,  Mary 
Parker  Norris,  she  owed  many  of  her  dis 
tinguishing  traits.  An  incident,  which  shows 
how  early  Deborah  Norris  developed  the  social 
tact  and  ability  that  made  her  home  at  Stenton 
so  charming  a  resort,  was  related  by  one  of 
the  French  travellers  in  America  during  the 
Revolution.  One  day  the  Chevalier  de  Ter- 
163 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

nant,  a  charming  and  accomplished  young 
Frenchman  who  served  under  Baron  Steuben 
during  the  Revolution,  called  to  pay  his  re 
spects  to  Mrs.  Norris  and  her  fair  daughter. 
The  drawing-room  was  full  of  old  friends  and 
persons  of  their  own  religious  persuasion,  be 
tween  whom  and  the  accomplished  foreigner 
there  seemed  little  in  common.  "  Deborah 
looked  anxiously  round,  and  presently  singled 
out  Humphrey  Marshall,  a  distinguished  natu 
ralist,  but  a  man  of  the  plainest  address,  and 
presented  them  to  each  other,  adroitly  turn 
ing  the  conversation  upon  botany,  which  she 
knew  to  be  a  favorite  science  of  De  Ternan's, 
and  then  left  them,  to  look  after  other  guests. 
After  a  long  talk,  De  Ternan  came  up  to  her 
with  the  inquiry,  'Miss  Norris,  have  you  many 
such  men  as  this  Mr.  Marshall  among  you?'"* 
Many  of  the  statesmen  and  literary  men 
who  resorted  to  Stenton  were  drawn  thither 
by  their  interest  in  Dr.  George  Logan,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  after 
wards  United  States  Senator  from  Pennsyl 
vania, — a  man  of  cultivation,  a  politician  of 
very  pronounced  views,  agreeing  on  certain 
salient  points  with  Mr.  Jefferson,  and  a  lover 

*  Although  -written  Ternan  by  the  narrator,  this  was 
evidently  the  Chevalier  Ternant,  who  was  associated  with 
Major  Fleury  in  the  inspection  of  the  troops  at  Valley 
Forge  under  Baron  Steuben.  Washington  Irving  says 
that  M.  Ternant  was  chosen,  not  only  for  his  merit  and 
abilities,  but  because  he  also  possessed  the  important 
qualification  of  speaking  English  as  well  as  French. 

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of  peace,  as  became  his  religious  profession. 
If  Dr.  Logan's  visitors  lingered  long  over  a 
cup  of  tea  in  Mrs.  Logan's  drawing-room,  it 
was  because  her  conversation  was  of  more 
than  ordinary  interest,  and  that  she  entered 
with  her  husband  and  his  friends  into  the  dis 
cussions  of  the  hour  appears  from  her  own 
modest  record.  Mr.  Jefferson  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  the  Logans,  and  was  frequently  at 
Stenton  during  his  residence  in  Philadelphia. 
Years  after  Mrs.  Logan  wrote  :  "  I  have  not 
forgotten  the  force  and  expansion  of  Jefferson's 
arguments,  delivered  in  a  beautiful  simplicity 
of  language,  and  a  politeness  of  manner  that 
disarmed  offence,  yet  with  a  strength  that 
defied  refutation  when  Reason  was  admitted 
to  sit  as  judge."  In  general,  this  shrewd  and 
observing  woman  thought  that  Mr.  Jefferson 
did  not  allow  his  political  prejudice  or  party 
spirit  to  warp  his  judgment;  yet  in  one  case 
she  considered  that  he  failed  in  entire  fairness, 
as  she  added  :  "  I  saw  that  he  wanted  sincerity 
towards  General  Washington,  whom  I  had 
always  revered  and  could  not  bear  to  hear 
mentioned  in  terms  that  implied  the  smallest 
diminution  of  his  character  or  qualities." 

Many  heated  discussions  upon  the  princi 
ples  of  the  French  Revolution  and  America's 
attitude  towards  France  took  place  in  Mrs. 
Logan's  drawing-room  or  under  the  beautiful 
trees  of  Stenton.  Upon  one  of  these  occa 
sions,  when  hot-headed,  radical  Genet  was 
present,  he  rose  from  his  chair,  says  Mrs. 
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Logan,  "  and  baffled  in  argument,  but  retaining 
his  good  humor  and  gentlemanly  demeanor, 
he  exclaimed,  in  his  (then)  imperfect  English, 
'Well,  gentlemen,  if  my  country  were  once 
happily  settled  in  peace  and  the  enjoyment  of 
her  rights,  as  yours  is  now,  I  would  sit  under 
my  own  vine  and  trees  as  you  do,  but  I  would 
disclaim  political  disquisitions  altogether;  I 
would  never  suffer  a  gazette  to  enter  my 
house.'  "  * 

Among  Mrs.  Logan's  earlier  guests  was  the 
great  Franklin,  for  whom  she  and  Dr.  Logan 
had  a  warm  friendship,  and  the  Polish  exile 
Kosciusko,  who  stayed  at  Stenton  for  some 
weeks,  and  found,  says  the  Quaker  lady, 
"among  these  rural  scenes,  some  of  that  balm 
for  the  incurable  hurt  of  his  noble  heart  which 
the  companionship  of  Nature  only  could  ad 
minister." 

To  Stenton  there  came,  in  earlier  and  later 
times,  Mr.  John  Vaughan,  the  most  benevo 
lent  and  genial  of  men  ;  Major  Pierce  Butler, 
whose  country-place  was  quite  near  on  the 
York  Road;  the  French  patriot,  Dupont  de 
Nemours ;  the  brilliant  and  eccentric  John 
Randolph  of  Roanoke ;  Peter  S.  Duponceau, 
a  French  jurist,  who  had  been  aide-de-camp  to 
Baron  Steuben  during  the  war,  and  the  witty 
Abbe*  Correa  de  Serra,  Portuguese  Minister  to 
the  United  States,  with  whom  his  gentle  and 


*  "  Deborah  Logan,  the  Quaker  Lady,"  by  Mrs.  Owen  J. 
Wister. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

learned  hostess  could  converse  upon  his  favor 
ite  subject,  the  flora  of  the  country,  or  show 
him  a  choice  treasure,  the  "dormant  jerboa" 
(jumping  mouse),  which  had  been  turned  up 
by  the  plough,  and  which  she  was  tenderly 
cherishing  in  a  closet.  Here  doubtless  came 
the  great  physician,  after  whom  the  English 
naturalist  *  named  the  luxuriant  vine,  with  its 
graceful  clusters  of  purple  flowers,  which  is 
now  known  all  over  the  world  as  the  Wistaria. 
Dr.  Caspar  Wistar's  own  country-seat  was 
not  far  from  Stenton,  on  the  other  side  of 
Germantown,  on  School-House  Lane.  The 
old  house  still  stands,  embowered  in  rare  and 
beautiful  trees,  with  a  garden  old-fashioned 
enough  to  bring  despair  to  the  hearts  of  all 
modern  projectors  of  old-time  gardens. 

Other  visitors  Mrs.  Logan  had  during  Dr. 
Logan's  absence  in  France  in  the  summer  of 
1798,  who  came  to  Stenton  from  Philadelphia, 
which  was  again  a  plague-stricken  city.  Many 
of  these  guests  were  the  members  of  her  ov/n 
family,  Logans  and  Norrises,  and  often  to  the 
number  of  twenty  or  more  at  one  time.  For 
this  large  family  the  Quaker  lady,  who  was 

*  Thomas  Nuttall,  who  named  the  Wistaria  after  Dr. 
Caspar  Wistar,  was  often  at  the  Germantown  home  of 
Mr.  Charles  J.  Wister,  who  was  also  a  distinguished 
botanist.  Mr.  Nuttall  found  many  of  his  correspondents 
upon  scientific  subjects  in  the  Philosophical  Society  of 
Philadelphia,  as  Mr.  William  Hamilton,  William  Bartram, 
and  the  Reverend  Louis  de  Schweinitz,  of  Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania,  another  great  botanist. 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

an  admirable  housekeeper  despite  her  love  of 
literature  and  her  frequent  flights  into  poetry, 
provided  with  ready  hospitality,  declaring  that 
this  sudden  influx  of  guests  was  far  better 
than  for  her  to  be  left  in  solitude. 

While  the  yellow-fever  was  raging  in  Phila 
delphia,  from  "which  all  communication  was 
cut  off,  we  may  believe  that  Mrs.  Logan's 
fortunate  visitors  held  many  discussions  with 
regard  to  what  was  naturally  a  vital  question 
of  the  hour, — whether  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush's 
treatment  of  the  epidemic,  which  was  to 
bleed,  bleed,  and  again  to  bleed,  was  as  good 
as  Dr.  Caspar  Wistar's  milder  methods  of 
dealing  with  the  malady. 

Germantown,  as  in  the  summer  of  1793, 
proved  a  safe  and  convenient  refuge  for  Phila- 
delphians  in  1797,  '98,  and  '99,  in  which  years 
there  were  more  or  less  severe  visitations  of 
yellow-fever.  Miss  Susan  Binney,  in  writing 
to  a  cousin  in  November,  1799,  speaks  of  having 
spent  the  summer  in  a  "  rural  and  healthy 
situation  fixed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  yellow 
fever  metropolis  Germantown." 

Mrs.  John  Cox  wrote  to  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
James  Chestnut,  in  August,  1797,  that  the  fever 
has  again  appeared,  and  that  she  intends  to 
close  her  house  and  go  to  Trenton.  "To 
morrow,"  she  adds,  "  will  bring  on  poor  Sister 
S's  *  trial,  as  she  must  leave  behind  her  the 

*This  was  Colonel  John  Cox's  daughter  Sarah,  who  was 
engaged  to  the  distinguished  Dr.  John  Redman  Coxe,  who 

168 


Mrs.  John  Redman  Coxe 
By  Thomas  Sully 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

friend  of  her  heart,  who  is  engaged  in  attending 
the  sick — daily  witnessing  the  progress  of  the 
fever.  Though  all  the  Physicians  say  it  yields 
easier  to  the  power  of  medicine  now  than  in 
93,  yet  they  all  agree  that  many  have  died— 
Dr  C.  has  not  thought  it  necessary  for  us  to 
leave  Town  to  within  two  days,  and  the  good 
old  Dr  Redman  has  visited  me  every  few  days 
and  begged  me  to  keep  quiet — that  he  would 
certainly  let  me  know  if  it  grew  worse,  or 
crept  up  from  the  Street  where  it  took  its  rise, 
which  was  Penn  street  near  the  Water — Yes 
terday  he  said  it  was  time  for  us  to  go." 

There  was  evidently  much  discussion  in 
those  years  with  regard  to  the  proper  treat 
ment  of  yellow-fever,  in  the  journals  of  the 
day,  as  well  as  in  medical  circles.  A  Philadel 
phia  lady,  in  writing  to  a  Southern  relative, 
said :  "  I  suppose  you  see  our  papers  in  which 
our  Physicians  are  at  War  with  each  other. 
I  hope  it  will  have  the  good  effect  of  bringing 


remained  at  his  post  in  Philadelphia  while  his  lady  love 
went  to  Trenton  with  her  mother.  Dr.  Coxewas  in  a  most 
exposed  position,  being  one  of  the  four  physicians  appointed 
to  report  the  cases  of  fever  to  the  Board  of  Health.  In 
another  part  of  her  letter  Mrs.  Cox  says  that  for  this  reason 
Dr.Coxe  urges  their  departure,  although  the  general  opinion 
is  that  the  disease  cannot  be  communicated  by  a  third  per 
son.  Dr.  John  Redman  Coxe  lived  safely  through  the  epi 
demic,  and  married  Miss  Sarah  Cox,  by  which  means  she 
added  an  e  to  her  name,  and  thus  brought  lasting  confusion 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Coxs  and  Coxes,  only  equalled  by  that 
wrought  by  the  Wisters  and  Wistars. 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

truth  to  light  at  last— It  is  a  great  pity  they 
cannot  agree.  .  .  .  What  makes  it  worse  is  that 
those  who  ran  away  for  fear  of  the  Yellow 
Fever  spent  their  time  in  scribbling  against 
those  who  were  risking  their  lives  in  the  cause 
of  humanity." 

However  the  medical  world  of  that  day,  and 
the  laity  also,  may  have  differed  with  regard 
to  the  origin  and  treatment  of  the  epidemic, 
there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  personal 
courage  and  devotion  to  duty  of  such  men  as 
Dr.  John  Redman,  one  of  the  oldest  Philadel 
phia  physicians,  his  grandson,  Dr.  John  Red 
man  Coxe,  Dr.  Rush,  Dr.  Caspar  Wistar,  the 
Duffields,  Michael  Leib,  Samuel  P.  Griffitts, 
Philip  Syng  Physick,  Samuel  Cooper,  and 
many  others.  As  a  proof  of  the  faithful  ser 
vice  of  the  good  doctors  of  old  Philadelphia,  it 
has  been  estimated  that  out  of  the  twenty-five 
physicians  then  in  the  active  practice  of  their 
profession,  nine  lost  their  lives  while  attending 
the  yellow-fever  patients.  Among  these  were 
Dr.  Samuel  Pleasants,  Dr.  Annan,  Dr.  James 
Hutchinson,  and  Dr.  Thompson,  who  was 
taken  ill  upon  his  wedding  day  and  died  three 
days  later.  Dr.  Physick  was  twice  stricken 
with  the  fever,  and  each  time  returned  heroi 
cally  to  his  post. 

Bush  Hill,  where  Mr.  Adams  and  his  family 
had  lived  during  the  first  years  of  their  resi 
dence  in  Philadelphia,  was  converted  into  a 
yellow-fever  hospital,  and  here  two  citizens  of 
foreign  parentage,  Stephen  Girard  and  Peter 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Helm,  gave  to  the  city  of  their  adoption  the 
noblest  and  most  unwearied  service. 

Stephen  Girard,  whom  we  are  wont  to  re 
gard  simply  as  a  shrewd,  money-getting  man, 
not  only  fitted  up  the  Bush  Hill  Hospital  at  a 
large  expense  to  himself,  but  in  the  absence 
of  competent  nurses  often  ministered  to  the 
needs  of  the  patients.  From  records  and  let 
ters  of  the  time,  it  appears  that  Mr.  Girard 
and  Mr.  Helm  conveyed  many  fever-stricken 
persons  from  their  homes  to  the  hospital, 
which  they  visited  daily,  risking  their  lives 
in  their  efforts  to  relieve  the  misery  of  its 
inmates. 

For  her  generosity  in  opening  wide  her 
gates  to  the  exile  and  the  homeless  from  Saint 
Domingo  and  other  islands  of  the  Southern 
sea,  Philadelphia  has  more  than  twice  suffered 
the  scourge  of  a  great  pestilence  ;  nor  has  the 
warmth  of  her  welcome  to  the  stranger  abated 
in  consequence  of  these  sad  experiences,  for 
to-day,  as  in  that  olden  time,  may  be  written 
of  this  City  of  Brotherly  Love  the  gracious 
Scriptural  encomium,  "  given  to  hospitality." 


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CHAPTER  V.     LIFE    IN   THE   FEDERAL 
CITY 

THE  City  of  Washington,  like  Phila 
delphia,  is  said  to  have  been  laid  out 
after  the  plan  of  ancient  Babylon ; 
but  there  are  few  persons  to-day  who  will  not 
unite  with  Mr.  Jefferson  in  repudiating  the 
idea  of  any  similarity  of  design  between  these 
widely  dissimilar  cities.  In  one  of  Mr.  Jeffer 
son's  letters  he  says  that,  in  compliance  with 
a  request  from  Major  L'Enfant,  he  has  sent 
him  accurate  plans  and  scales  of  Paris,  Mar 
seilles,  Bordeaux,  Amsterdam,  Strasburg,  and 
other  European  cities,  which  had  been  made 
during  visits  to  these  places,  adding,  "  they 
are,  none  of  them,  comparable  to  the  old 
Babylon,  revived  in  Philadelphia,  and  exem 
plified."  "  Philadelphia  griddled  across  Ver 
sailles,"  said  one  writer  in  describing  the  plan 
of  the  capital  city.  Some  thought  of  the 
grounds  of  the  old  palace  of  the  Bourbons 
may  have  been  in  the  mind  of  the  French 
engineer  to  whom  is  due  much  of  the  beauty 
of  this  unique  American  city,  with  its  avenues 
radiating  from  a  chief  centre,  the  Capitol,  and 
again  from  stars  of  less  magnitude  in  the  form 
of  small  parks  and  circles.  A  vast  labyrinth 
of  streets,  drives,  and  parks,  ornamented  with 
fountains,  statues,  and  parterres,  is  this  city 
which  L'Enfant  designed  for  the  residence  of 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

half  a  million  of  people,  whose  possibilities 
few  men  of  that  day  could  foresee. 

Because  Washington  died  before  Congress 
was  removed  to  the  new  capital,  we  are  wont 
to  forget  how  deep  his  interest  was  and  how 
much  he  had  to  do  with  the  beginnings  of  the 
fair  city,  which  was  destined  to  bear  his  name. 
He,  like  a  few  other  practical  men,  and  many 
speculative  ones,  believed  in  the  ultimate 
greatness  of  the  Federal  City,  although  in  1793, 
when  the  corner-stone  of  the  Capitol  was  laid, 
it  required  considerable  imagination  to  picture 
a  metropolis  upon  the  "ten-mile  square,"  as 
the  District  of  Columbia  was  first  called.  A 
plain,  bordered  by  thickly  wooded  hills,  with 
the  Potomac  winding  through  its  centre,  was 
the  site  of  the  future  capital.  The  ground  was 
marshy  in  some  places  and  quite  uncultivated, 
the  surface  being  covered  with  scrub  oaks  and 
the  undergrowth  that  flourishes  in  swampy 
places. 

President  Washington,  to  whom  all  this 
country  had  been  familiar  from  his  boyhood, 
who  had  encamped  with  the  Braddock  expedi 
tion  upon  this  well-watered  plain,  chose  it  for 
the  site  of  the  national  capital,  and  his  choice 
was  accepted  by  Jefferson  and  Madison,  who 
were  associated  with  him.  He  at  once  bought 
lots  in  the  "  ten-mile  square,"  and  used  every 
effort  to  stimulate  others  to  do  the  same,  al 
though  he  entirely  disapproved  of  Mr.  Blod- 
get's  plan  to  establish  a  lottery  to  expedite 
the  sale  of  property.  During  the  President's 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

summer  vacations  he  frequently  rode  over 
from  Mount  Vernon  to  superintend  the  work 
going  on  in  the  new  city,  and  in  his  letters 
he  often  records  these  visits  to  what  he  mod 
estly  called  "the  Federal  City,"  although  the 
name  "  Washington  "  for  the  city,  and  "  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia  "  for  the  "  ten-mile  square  " 
upon  which  it  was  situated,  had  been  decided 
upon  by  the  commission  as  early  as  1791. 
Upon  these  occasions,  the  President  stopped 
with  Mr.  Thomas  Law  or  Mr.  Thomas  Peter. 
Both  of  these  gentlemen,  who  had  married 
Mrs.  Washington's  granddaughters,  early  built 
houses  for  themselves  in  the  new  capital,  and 
invested  in  lots  there.  Mr.  Madison,  Mr. 
Dickinson,  General  Howard,  and  Mr.  Samuel 
Blodget,  who  was  for  a  time  Superintendent 
of  the  Federal  City,  all  invested  extensively  in 
building-lots. 

Mr.  Twining  gives  an  interesting  description 
of  his  attempts  to  find  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Law  in  the  forest  of  Washington, 
which  then,  in  1795,  was  pierced  through  with 
avenues  in  a  more  or  less  perfect  state.  "After 
going  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  through  a 
silent  wilderness,"  he  says,  "  I  found  myself 
upon  a  trackless  plain  partially  covered  with 
trees  and  brushwood.  I  in  vain  looked  about 
for  Mr.  Law's  house  or  some  one  to  guide  me 
to  it.  I  therefore  rode  on  in  the  direction  I 
judged  the  most  likely  to  lead  me  out  of  this 
labyrinth.  I  knew  that  in  case  of  my  not  suc 
ceeding,  my  retreat  was  always  open  to  the 


Mrs.  Thomas  Law 
By  Gilbert  Stuart 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Capitol,  for  while  talking  v/ith  the  workmen  I 
observed  that  all  the  avenues  converged  to 
that  point.  I  continued  therefore  to  explore 
my  way  through  thickets,  keeping  my  horse's 
head  rather  towards  the  right,  to  gain,  if  neces 
sary,  the  Potomac,  whose  bank  I  might  then 
follow. 

"  I  had  not  proceeded  far  before  I  saw  a 
carriage  issue  from  the  forest  beyond  the  plain, 
and  I  soon  perceived  that  it  was  making  for  a 
small  bridge,  which  I  now  discovered  for  the 
first  time,  considerably  to  the  right  of  the  point 
for  which  I  was  making.  As  it  approached 
the  hope  I  indulged  was  confirmed.  It  was 
Mr.  Law's  chariot,  which  in  the  expectation 
of  my  arrival  at  Georgetown,  Mr.  Law  had 
sent  for  me.  The  coachman  tying  my  horse 
behind,  we  recrossed  the  small  bridge,  passed 
through  the  forest  I  had  seen,  and  a  second 
plain  beyond  it,  and  reached  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac.  In  a  few  minutes  more  we  arrived 
at  Mr.  Law's,  where  I  had  a  most  cordial  re 
ception. 

"  In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Law  took  me  about 
his  new  estate.  His  house,  built  by  himself, 
was  only  a  few  yards  from  the  steep  bank  of 
the  Potomac,  and  commanded  a  fine  view 
across  the  river,  here  half  a  mile  wide.  In 
the  rear  of  the  house  Mr.  Law  was  building  a 
street,  consisting  of  much  smaller  houses  than 
his  own,  speculating  upon  a  great  increase  in 
their  value  when  the  expected  transfer  of  the 
seat  of  government  should  be  effected." 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Robert  Morris,  with  John  Nicholson  and 
James  Greenleaf,  who  were  associated  with 
him  in  business,  invested  heavily  in  Wash 
ington  lots,  and  lost  in  the  same  proportion, 
probably  because  they  were  attempting  to 
hold  too  much  land  elsewhere  at  the  same 
time,  and  because  the  Washington  property 
required  ready  capital  for  improvements,  and 
did  not  rise  in  value  as  rapidly  as  was  ex 
pected. 

Major  L'Enfant,  who  had  rendered  valuable 
service  to  the  engineer  corps  during  the  Revo 
lution,  and  who  had  later  remodelled  the  City 
Hall  in  New  York  and  planned  Congress  Hall 
in  Philadelphia,  was  chosen  as  the  engineer 
for  the  laying  out  of  the  capital.  The  choice 
was  an  admirable  one  in  some  respects  ;  but, 
although  possessed  of  great  ability,  Major 
L'Enfant  was  at  times  carried  by  his  imagina 
tion  beyond  the  bonds  of  practicability,  and 
was  unwilling  to  be  guided  by  the  common 
sense  of  his  associates.  President  Washing 
ton  summed  up  the  case  in  his  own  terse,  for 
cible  manner  by  saying  that  "Major  L'Enfant 
was  as  well  qualified  for  the  work  as  any  man 
living,  but  the  knowledge  of  this  fact  magni 
fied  his  self-esteem." 

The  French  Minister  jocosely  remarked,  in 
allusion  to  the  alphabetical  and  numerical 
names  of  the  streets,  "  that  L'Enfant  was  not 
only  a  child  in  name,  but  in  education  also ; 
as  from  the  names  he  gave  the  streets,  he  ap 
peared  to  know  little  else  than  A,  B,  C,  and  i, 

176 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

2,  3."*  It  appears,  however,  from  a  letter  of 
the  Commissioners,  that  these  names  were 
suggested  by  them,  and,  in  all  probability, 
those  of  the  principal  avenues  which  bear  the 
names  of  the  sixteen  States  then  in  the  Union. 

The  headstrong  and  over-sensitive  French 
man  finally  quarrelled  with  the  Commissioners 
and  lost  his  place.  To  Andrew  Ellicott,  a 
Pennsylvania  Quaker,  was  entrusted  the  task 
of  carrying  out,  with  some  modifications,  the 
plan  of  Major  L'Enfant. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  faults  of  Major 
L'Enfant,  it  should  never  be  forgotten  that  to 
his  large  grasp  of  the  situation  and  its  possi 
bilities,  is  chiefly  due  the  great  beauty  of  the 
national  capital,  which  has  grown  and  spread 
out  along  the  lines  laid  out  by  him. 

The  broad  plateau  overlooking  the  Potomac 
suggested  a  fitting  site  for  the  Capitol.  This 
tract  of  land  was  owned  by  Daniel  Carroll,  and 
was  upon  the  same  property  as  his  country- 
seat,  Duddington  Manor,  which  during  the 
early  years  of  life  in  the  Federal  City  was  the 
scene  of  much  generous  hospitality. 

The  first  plan  for  the  Capitol  was  designed 
by  Dr.  William  Thornton,  a  native  of  the 
West  Indies  and  a  friend  of  Mr.  Jefferson, 
who  suggested  to  the  architect  the  cotton 
blossom,  tobacco  leaf,  and  other  original  and 
appropriate  emblems,  which  were  afterwards 

*  "  The  Seat  of  Government  of  the  United  States,"  by 
Joseph  B.  Varnum,  Jr. 

12  177 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

employed  in  the  decoration  of  the  building.  It 
has  often  been  stated  that  Dr.  Thornton  was 
the  architect  of  the  Capitol ;  but  although  his 
plan  possessed  great  merit  and  was  at  first  ap 
proved,  Mr.  Carstairs  and  Colonel  Williams, 
who  formed  the  Commission  on  Architecture, 
found  it  impracticable  in  some  respects  and 
more  expensive  than  a  design  presented  by 
Stephen  L.  Hallett,  a  French  architect  who 
resided  in  New  York.  This  latter  plan  was 
accepted  by  the  Commissioners,  and  Mr. 
James  Hoban,  Superintendent  of  the  Capitol, 
was  advised  to  begin  the  work  upon  the  plan 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Hallett,  leaving  "  the  recess 
in  the  east  front  open  to  further  considera 
tion."  * 

Dr.  Thornton's  attitude  in  this  matter  seems 
to  have  been  most  courteous,  as  he  asked  to 
have  his  plan  submitted  to  a  competent  com 
mission.  He  was  really  an  amateur,  although 
possessed  of  excellent  taste  in  architecture.! 

One  charming  idea  of  Major  L'Enfant,  which 
if  carried  out  would  have  added  much  to  the 


*  Mr.  Hoban,  an  Irish  architect,  not  only  supervised  the 
building  of  the  Capitol,  but  planned  the  White  House, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  copied  from  the  residence  of  an 
Irish  nobleman  in  Dublin. 

f  Mr.  Charles  Burr  Todd,  in  his"  Story  of  Washington," 
says  that  this  much-controverted  point  with  regard  to  the 
authorship  of  the  plan  of  the  Capitol  has  been  definitely 
settled  by  reference  to  the  Washington  letters  in  the  State 
Department,  and  by  letters  of  General  Washington  to  the 
Commissioners,  preserved  in  the  War  Department. 

178 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

beauty  of  this  city,  was  to  have  the  White 
House  connected  with  the  Capitol  by  a  garden, 
or  series  of  parterres,  after  the  plan  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies  and  the  Tuileries  in 
Paris.  Instead  of  Major  L'Enfant's  fair  gar 
den,  there  lay  for  many  years  between  the 
Capitol  and  the  White  House  two  miles  of 
tenacious  yellow  mud. 

When  the  Congress  moved  from  Philadel 
phia  to  its  future  municipal  home,  in  the  first 
year  of  the  new  century,  there  were  not  only 
no  gardens  around  the  Capitol  and  the  White 
House,  but  streets  and  avenues  were  still  an 
unknown  luxury. 

Gouverneur  Morris  said  of  Washington  in 
these  early  days,  that  it  was  "  the  best  city  in 
the  world  for  a  future  residence.  We  want 
nothing  here  but  houses,  cellars,  kitchens, 
well  informed  men,  amiable  women,  and  other 
little  trifles  of  this  kind,  to  make  our  city  per 
fect."  A  climax  in  the  way  of  comparisons 
was  reached  when  Mr.  Jackson,  British  Min 
ister,  as  late  as  1809,  likened  the  Federal  City 
to  Hampstead  Heath,  and  declared  that  he 
had  "  started  a  covey  of  partridges  about  three 
hundred  yards  from  the  House  of  Congress." 

The  serious  inconveniences  of  living  in  a 
city,  that  was  only  completed  upon  paper,  may 
be  gathered  from  the  letters  of  senators  and 
representatives.  Mr.  Oliver  Wolcott  wrote 
to  his  wife  :  "  I  have  made  every  exertion  to 
secure  good  lodgings  near  the  office,  but  shall 
be  compelled  to  take  them  at  the  distance  of 
179 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

more  than  half  a  mile.  There  are  in  fact  but 
few  houses  at  any  one  place,  and  most  of 
them  small,  miserable  huts,  which  present  an 
awful  contrast  to  the  public  buildings.  The 
people  are  poor,  and,  as  far  as  I  can  judge, 
they  live  like  fishes,  by  eating  each  other.  All 
the  ground  for  several  miles  around  the  city, 
being,  in  the  opinion  of  the  people,  too  valu 
able  to  be  cultivated,  remains  unfenced.  There 
are  but  few  enclosures,  even  for  gardens,  and 
those  are  in  bad  order.  You  may  look  in  al 
most  any  direction  over  an  extent  of  ground 
nearly  as  large  as  the  city  of  New  York,  with 
out  seeing  a  fence  or  any  object  except  brick 
kilns  and  temporary  huts  for  laborers." 

Mrs.  Adams  and  her  party  while  going  to 
the  capital  lost  their  way  in  the  woods  be 
tween  Baltimore  and  Washington,  and  after 
wandering  about  without  finding  a  guide  or  a 
path,  met  "  a  straggling  black,"  who  extricated 
them  from  their  difficulties.  "  Woods,"  she 
adds,  "  are  all  you  see  from  Baltimore  until 
you  reach  the  city,  which  is  only  so  in  name." 

Mrs.  Adams,  in  writing  to  her  daughter 
in  November,  1800,  soon  after  her  arrival  in 
Washington,  says  that  there  are  enough  build 
ings  to  accommodate  Congress,  but  all  so 
scattered  that  little  comfort  is  to  be  expected. 
The  White  House  she  considers  upon  "a 
grand  and  superb  scale,  requiring  about  thirty 
servants  to  attend  and  keep  the  apartments  in 
proper  order,  and  perform  the  ordinary  busi 
ness  of  the  house  and  stables;  an  establish- 
180 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ment  very  well  proportioned  to  the  President's 
salary.  The  lighting  the  apartments,  from 
kitchen  to  parlours  and  chambers  is  a  tax  in 
deed."  The  work  of  the  house,  she  adds,  was 
seriously  retarded  by  having  no  bells  in  this 
"great  castle,"  and  no  fence  or  yard  around  it, 
which  necessitated  the  drying  of  the  clothes 
in  the  large  audience  room.  This  good  lady's 
woes  at  Bush  Hill,  near  Philadelphia,  pale 
before  her  pioneer  experiences  in  this  "new 
country."  Surrounded  by  forests,  she  found  it 
almost  impossible  to  get  enough  wood  to  build 
sufficient  fires  in  the  freshly  plastered  house  to 
keep  off  the  ague.  The  principal  stairs  were 
not  up,  and  would  not  be  until  spring.  She 
says  that  only  six  chambers  were  habitable, 
two  of  which  were  occupied  by  the  President 
and  Mr.  Shaw ;  in  short,  the  outlook  for  the 
next  six  months  was  rather  gloomy.  It  is  not 
strange  that  this  energetic  New  England 
woman,  in  summing  up  the  salient  points  of 
the  situation,  should  have  come  to  the  con 
clusion  that,  "if  the  twelve  or  thirteen  years 
in  which  this  place  has  been  considered  as  the 
future  seat  of  government,  had  been  improved, 
as  they  would  have  been  in  New  England, 
very  many  of  the  present  inconveniences 
would  have  been  removed." 

Some  bright  spots  this  clever  little  woman 
found  in  her  Washington  life,  as  in  all  her 
other  trying  experiences.  The  incomparable 
Mrs.  Bingham,  Miss  Hamilton,  and  kindly 
Mrs.  Powel  were  not  here  to  comfort  her  as 
x8z 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  Philadelphia,  but  many  ladies  came  from 
the  hospitable  old  towns  of  Alexandria  and 
Georgetown  to  welcome  the  President's  lady. 
These  guests,  Mrs.  Adams  was  obliged  to  re 
ceive  in  a  general  parlor,  hastily  fitted  up  ;  the 
oval  room  with  handsome  crimson  furniture, 
which  was  designed  for  a  drav/ing-room,  not 
being  completed.  There  also  came  a  prompt 
note  of  welcome  from  Mrs.  Lawrence  Lewis, 
with  love  from  her  widowed  grandmother,  the 
mistress  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  an  invitation 
to  Mrs.  Adams  to  visit  her  there,  which  the 
New  England  lady  says  that  she  intends  to 
do,  health  permitting.  If  Mrs.  Adams  ac 
complished  this  visit,  no  letters  describing  it 
have  been  preserved.  Other  visitors  to  Mount 
Vernon,  in  these  days  after  the  General's  death, 
have  left  pleasant  descriptions  of  the  welcome 
that  was  extended  to  them  by  Mrs.  Washing 
ton,  who  put  aside  her  own  grief  to  exercise 
the  hospitality  that  was  as  distinguishing  a 
trait  of  the  mistress,  as  it  had  been  of  the 
master,  of  Mount  Vernon. 

Mrs.  Adams's  letters  to  her  daughter  at  this 
time  are  either  less  frequent  or  too  confi 
dential  and  intimate  for  publication,  and  the 
reader  of  to-day  misses  such  brilliant,  graphic 
pictures  of  persons  and  scenes  in  Washing 
ton,  as  have  preserved  for  future  generations 
Mrs.  Adams's  impressions  of  Court  life  in  the 
Old  World,  or  of  that  of  the  early  years  of  the 
Republic  in  New  York  and  in  Philadelphia. 
The  buoyant  spirit  that  enabled  her  to  rise 
182 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

above  all  the  trials  and  difficulties  of  her  life 
and  to  declare,  in  the  midst  of  perplexities 
about  her  children  and  anxiety  about  her  absent 
husband,  that  she  was  "  a  mortal  enemy  to 
anything  but  a  cheerful  countenance  and  a 
merry  heart,"  seems  to  have  sometimes  for 
saken  Abigail  Adams  during  the  early  months 
of  her  residence  in  Washington.  Her  health 
was  not  good,  and  she  had  been  depressed  by 
the  trying  political  campaign  through  which 
her  husband  had  passed,  which  had  made  it 
quite  plain  that  there  would  be  no  second  term 
in  office  for  Mr.  Adams. 

This  combination  of  adverse  circumstances 
may  have  caused  Mrs.  Adams's  sarcasm  to  be 
somewhat  more  trenchant  than  in  earlier  and 
happier  days.  In  speaking  of  the  delay  in  the 
meeting  of  Congress,  she  says,  evidently  re 
ferring  to  Mr.  Jefferson  :  "  The  Senate  is  much 
behind-hand.  No  Congress  has  yet  been  made. 

'Tis  said is  on  his  way,  but  travels 

with  so  many  delicacies  in  his  rear,  that  he 
cannot  get  on  fast,  lest  some  of  them  should 
suffer." 

The  ladies — probably  the  Georgetown  and 
Alexandria  ladies  as  well  as  the  cabinet  women 
— were  impatient  for  a  drawing-room,  said 
Mrs.  Adams,  and  a  drawing-room  they  had 
on  New  Year's  Day,  1801,  although,  as  she 
wrote  to  her  daughter,  there  were  "  no  looking 
glasses  but  dwarfs  for  this  house,  nor  a  twen 
tieth  part  lamps  enough  to  light  it."  Presi 
dent  Adams  received  in  the  first-floor  rooms, 

183 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  Mrs.  Adams  held  her  drawing-room  in 
the  oval  room  on  the  second  floor,  which  was 
afterwards  used  as  a  library. 

Mr.  Dana  Baillie  Worden,  an  Irish  gentle 
man,  who  was  sometime  Secretary  to  the 
American  Legation  at  Paris,  in  his  recollec 
tions  of  official  life  in  Washington  early  in 
the  century,  speaks  with  warm  admiration 
of  the  ladies  "  in  the  territory  of  Columbia." 
"  The  state  of  female  society  at  Washing 
ton,"  says  Mr.  Worden,  "  does  great  honor  to 
the  sex.  They  have  been  accused  of  sacri 
ficing  too  much  to  the  empire  of  fashion,  but 
as  we  have  not  been  able  to  verify  the  ex 
tent  of  this  tribute,  it  would  be  dangerous 
to  decide  on  so  delicate  a  subject.  They  are 
certainly  superior  women,  generally  highly 
gifted  in  mental  as  they  are  with  personal 
adornments.  They  have  hitherto  withstood 
the  lamentable  ravages  which  art  and  luxury 
have,  in  other  great  cities,  produced  upon  the 
sex.  There  is  an  evil,  however,  which  is 
deeply  lamented.  It  is  natural  to  love  those 
who  are  made  to  be  loved;  and  no  sooner  do 
the  young  ladies  of  Washington  arrive  at  the 
nubile  age  than  they  give  their  hands  to  some 
wooing  stranger  or  Member  of  Congress,  who 
carries  them  off  to  his  distant  home.  The 
young  citizens  who  have  been  daily  contem 
plating  the  regular  advances  of  these  shoots 
into  perfection,  disappointed  in  their  ardent 
intentions,  sigh  and  exclaim  (not  without 
reason)  against  the  corruptions  of  the  times, 
184 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

against  family  interest  and  an  unnatural,  dis 
heartening  preference  to  foreigners.  Wash 
ington  thus  resembles  a  nursery  whose  fine 
plants  are  annually  transplanted  to  foreign  and 
less  congenial  soil.  .  .  .  Respectable  strangers, 
after  the  slightest  introduction,  are  invited  to 
dinners  and  evening  parties.  Those  at  the 
President's  house  unite  simplicity  with  the 
greatest  refinement  of  manners.  Tea  parties 
have  become  very  expensive,  as  not  only  tea 
but  coffee,  negus,  cakes,  sweetmeats,  iced 
creams,  wine  and  liquors  are  often  presented, 
and  in  a  sultry  summer  evening  are  found  too 
palatable  to  be  refused.  In  winter  there  is  a 
succession  of  family  balls,  where  all  this  spe 
cies  of  luxury  is  exhibited." 

During  the  Presidential  election  of  1800, 
there  occurred  the  very  remarkable  tie  be 
tween  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Aaron  Burr, 
which  threw  the  important  choice  into  the 
House  of  Representatives.  After  seven  days' 
balloting,  it  was  announced  on  February  17, 
1801,  that  ten  States,  a  sufficient  number,  had 
voted  for  Mr.  Jefferson  as  President  of  the 
United  States.  In  a  periodical  of  the  time, 
there  appeared  the  following  description  of 
the  part  taken  by  Judge  Nicholson  in  this 
electoral  contest,  which  gives  a  good  idea  of 
the  spirit  and  determination  of  the  old-time 
Jefferson  Democrat : 

"  At  the  time  of  the  election  by  the  House, 
the  result  depended  on  a  single  vote.  Mr. 
Joseph  Hopper  Nicholson,  one  of  the  Repre- 

185 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

sentatives  from  Maryland,  had  been  for  some 
weeks  confined  to  his  bed,  and  was  so  ill  that 
his  life  was  considered  in  danger.  Ill  as  he 
was,  he  insisted  on  being  carried  to  the  Hall 
of  Representatives,  in  order  to  give  his  vote. 
The  physicians  absolutely  forbade  such  a  pro 
ceeding.  He  insisted,  and  they  appealed  to  his 
wife,  telling  her  such  a  removal  and  the  con 
sequent  excitement  might  prove  fatal  to  his 
life.  *  Be  it  so  then,'  said  she ;  '  if  my  hus 
band  must  die,  let  it  be  at  the  post  of  duty. 
No  weakness  of  mine  shall  oppose  his  noble 
resolution.'  .  .  .  The  patient  was  carried  to  the 
Capitol,  where  a  bed  was  prepared  for  him  in 
an  ante-room  adjoining  the  Senate  Chamber, 
followed  by  his  heroic  wife,  where  during  the 
four  or  five  days  and  nights  of  balloting  she 
remained  by  his  side,  supporting  by  various 
restoratives — much  more  by  her  presence — 
the  strength  of  the  feeble  invalid,  who  with 
difficulty  traced  the  name  of  Jefferson  each 
time  that  the  ballot  box  was  handed  to  him." 
Mrs.  Nicholson,  who  under  these  trying  cir 
cumstances  proved  herself  to  have  been  a 
woman  of  courage  and  spirit,  developed  these 
traits  at  an  early  age,  as  appears  from  a  story 
of  her  childhood  preserved  in  the  Lloyd  fam 
ily,  of  Maryland.  Upon  the  approach  of  the 
British,  who  afterwards  burned  her  father's, 
Colonel  Lloyd's,  house,  Rebecca  was  taken 
out  of  bed  with  the  other  children  and  hurried 
to  a  place  of  safety.  Instead  of  being  fright 
ened  by  this  unusual  proceeding,  the  little 

186 


Mrs.  Joseph  Hopper  Nicholson 
By  Richard  Cosway 


Charles  Hall 
Page  213 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

girl's  wrath  was  aroused  against  the  invading 
enemy,  of  whom  she  made  uncomplimen 
tary  remarks,  which  she  had  doubtless  heard 
from  her  elders,  and  concluded  by  exclaiming, 

"  D the  British,  they  shan't  take  the  buckle 

off  my  tipper  [slipper]." 

Mrs.  Nicholson's  sister,  Mary  Lloyd,  mar 
ried  Francis  Scott  Key,  the  author  of  the 
"  Star  Spangled  Banner."  * 

Joseph  Hopper  Nicholson,  who  was  after 
wards  Presiding  Judge  of  the  Baltimore  Court 
of  Appeals,  was  a  member  of  Congress  during 
Mr.  Jefferson's  administration,  and  with  his 
wife  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Washington. 

Mr.  Henry  Adams  says  that  the  much- 
quoted  tale  of  an  English  traveller,  who  spoke 
of  the  President-elect  riding  on  horseback  to 
the  Capitol,  unattended  by  guard  or  servant, 
dismounting,  hitching  his  horse  to  the  palings, 
and  entering  the  halls  of  legislature  to  be  in- 

*  Mrs.  Rebecca  Lloyd  Shippen,  of  Baltimore,  a  grand 
daughter  of  Judge  Nicholson,  who  has  in  her  possession 
the  original  manuscript  of  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner," 
says  that  Mr.  Key  composed  the  poem  while  on  a  vessel  in 
the  Baltimore  harbor  during  the  night  of  the  bombardment 
of  Fort  McHenry,  as  has  always  been  stated.  The  original 
draft,  in  ink  and  upon  the  back  of  an  old  letter,  was  written 
afterwards  at  the  hotel  by  Mr.  Key  from  his  notes  and  from 
memory.  This  draft  Mr.  Key  took  to  his  brother-in-law, 
Judge  Nicholson,  who  being  a  poet  and  musician,  fitted  the 
words  to  the  tune  "Anacreon  in  Heaven,"  which  was  much 
in  vogue  at  that  time.  Within  an  hour  the  song  was  sent 
to  a  printer  living  near  Judge  Nicholson's  house,  and  soon 
after  was  sung  all  over  the  town. 
187 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

augurated  with  as  little  ceremony  as  he  would 
have  observed  in  going  in  to  breakfast  with  a 
friend,  is  absolutely  without  foundation.  Mr. 
Davis,  the  narrator,  was  not  in  the  capital  at 
the  time,  and  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  was  stopping 
at  Conrad's  boarding-house,  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  Capitol,  walked  thither  escorted 
by  a  body  of  militia,  and  accompanied  by  the 
Secretaries  of  the  Navy  and  the  Treasury. 

Other  descriptions,  not  so  easily  discredited, 
are  those  of  Senator  Maclay,  Augustin  Foster, 
and  many  another  visitor  in  Washington, 
which  represent  the  brilliant,  sagacious,  ver 
satile  statesman,  who  was,  says  Mr.  Adams, 
"in  the  village  simplicity  of  Washington  more 
than  a  king,"  appearing  decidedly  unkempt  as 
to  the  hair  and  toilet,  in  corduroy  small  clothes, 
red  plush  waistcoat,  yarn  stockings,  and  slip 
pers  down  at  heel.  The  soul  of  kindness  and 
generosity  was  Jefferson,  whom  Mr.  Forbes 
described  as  "appearing  like  a  tall  large  boned 
farmer,"  capable  of  the  most  graceful  cour 
tesy,  of  compliments  galore  when  ladies  were 
present,  and  so  given  to  hospitality  that  the 
steward  said  that  it  sometimes  cost  fifty  dol 
lars  a  day  to  provide  for  his  many  guests. 

Mr.  Jefferson  had  not  been  in  office  long 
before  it  became  evident  that  he  had  made  a 
mistake  in  abolishing  the  weekly  levee.  As 
there  were  no  regular  receptions  held  by  the 
President,  he  was  accessible  to  visitors  at  all 
hours,  except  when  engaged  with  his  cabinet 
and  during  the  sessions  of  Congress.  Inter- 

188 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ruptions,  as  frequent  as  those  to  which  the 
President  was  subjected,  must  have  proved  to 
be  a  sad  waste  of  precious  time,  as  well  as  ex 
ceedingly  irksome.  Nor  was  this  informality 
in  social  matters  agreeable  to  the  majority 
of  "Washington  residents.  There  were  many 
persons,  especially  among  the  fair  sex,  who 
missed  the  weekly  receptions  which  they  had 
enjoyed  under  the  preceding  administration. 
Some  of  the  disaffected,  whether  instigated 
by  the  Federalists  in  Washington  or  by  some 
of  the  ladies,  "  hit  upon  an  expedient,"  says 
Mr.  Partcn,  "  to  balk  the  president's  intention 
of  abolishing  the  levee.  On  the  usual  day,  at 
the  usual  hour, — two  in  the  afternoon — ladies 
and  gentlemen  began  to  arrive  at  the  presi 
dent's  house,  attired  in  the  manner  customary 
at  the  levees.  The  president  was  not  at  home. 
He  was  enjoying  his  regular  two  hours'  ride 
on  horseback,  which  nothing  but  absolute 
necessity  could  make  him  forego.  When  he 
returned  at  three  o'clock,  and  learned  that  the 
great  rooms  were  filled  with  company  waiting 
to  see  him,  he  guessed  their  object,  and  frus 
trated  it  gracefully,  and  with  perfect  good 
humor,  by  merely  going  among  them,  all  ac 
coutred  as  he  was,  booted,  spurred,  splashed 
with  mud,  riding  whip  in  hand,  and  greeting 
them  as  though  the  conjunction  of  so  many 
guests  were  merely  a  joyous  coincidence. 
They,  in  their  turn,  caught  the  spirit  of  the 
joke,  and  the  affair  ended  happily.  But  it  was 
the  last  of  the  levees." 

189 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Another  innovation  made  by  Mr.  Jefferson 
was  to  do  away  with  state  dinners  as  much  as 
possible,  and  instead  to  entertain  in  the  hos 
pitable  style  of  the  planter  of  Old  Virginia. 
The  dining-room  of  the  White  House  being 
much  more  accessible  than  that  upon  a  remote 
plantation,  we  can  readily  believe  that  Mr. 
Jefferson's  dinner-table  did  not  suffer  from 
lack  of  guests.  Edmund  Bacon,  the  steward 
of  Monticello,  was  often  at  the  White  House 
for  many  days  in  succession.  In  speaking  of 
the  life  there,  he  said  that  there  were  eleven 
servants  in  the  establishment,  besides  the 
French  cook,  French  steward,  and  Irish 
coachman.  Mr.  Bacon  recorded  that  the  long 
dining-table  was  full  every  day  that  he  spent 
in  the  White  House,  the  company  being  com 
posed  of  Congressmen,  foreigners,  and  people 
of  all  kinds.  "  He  dined  at  four  o'clock,"  said 
Mr.  Bacon,  "  and  they  generally  sat  and  talked 
until  night.  It  used  to  weary  me  to  sit  so 
long ;  and  I  finally  quit  when  I  got  through 
eating  and  went  off  and  left  them." 

When  Mr.  Jefferson  gave  state  dinners,  his 
disregard  of  etiquette  was  sometimes  the 
cause  of  serious  misunderstandings.  Mr. 
Merry,  sometime  British  Minister,  who  is 
described  as  a  perfect  "  Turveydrop  "  in  mat 
ters  of  etiquette,  was  not  only  shocked  at 
the  informality  of  his  own  reception,  but  at 
seeing  the  President,  at  a  formal  dinner  at  the 
White  House,  offer  his  arm  to  Mrs.  Madison 
instead  of  to  the  guest  of  the  occasion,  Mrs. 

190 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Merry.  "  Poor  Merry,"  says  Mr.  Parton, 
"  made  such  an  outcry  at  this  in  Washington, 
that  Mr.  Madison  deemed  it  best  to  explain 
the  circumstances  to  Mr.  Monroe,  the  Ameri 
can  Minister  in  London,  that  he  might  be  pre 
pared  to  meet  Merry's  version.  Mr.  Merry 
did  relate  his  grievances  to  the  English  Min 
ister  for  Foreign  Affairs  ;  who,  however,  forbore 
to  mention  it  to  Monroe.  If  he  had,  Monroe 
was  ready  for  him ;  for,  beside  being  fully  alive 
to  the  humor  of  the  affair,  he  had  seen,  a  few 
weeks  before,  in  an  official  London  drawing- 
room,  the  "wife  of  an  under-secretary  of  state 
accorded  precedence  over  his  own.  Mrs. 
Merry  went  no  more  to  the  White  House, 
and  her  husband  only  went  when  official  duty 
compelled." 

Fortunately  for  this  most  democratic  admin 
istration,  the  wife  of  the  Secretary  of  State 
was  generally  at  hand  to  smooth  over  rough 
places  and  to  give  ease  and  elegance,  by  her 
presence  and  her  manners,  to  functions  that 
would  otherwise  have  been  hopelessly  crude. 
During  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  administration 
his  daughters  were  with  him  very  little ;  Mrs. 
Randolph  was  naturally  absorbed  in  the  care 
of  her  large  family,  and  Mrs.  Eppes's  health 
failed  soon  after  her  marriage.  Mrs.  Madison 
and  her  sister,  Miss  Payne,  afterwards  Mrs. 
Richard  Cutts,  were  often  called  upon  by  Mr. 
Jefferson  to  preside  in  the  absence  of  his 
daughters.  Another  sister,  Lucy,  who  mar 
ried  Mr.  Washington,  made  her  home  with 

191 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mrs.  Madison  after  her  husband's  death.  Mr. 
Irving  met  Mrs.  Cutts  and  Mrs.  Washington 
at  the  White  House,  and  likened  them  to 
"two  merry  wives  of  Windsor." 

Mrs.  Madison's  exquisite  tact,  true  kindness, 
great  adaptability,  and  personal  charm  were 
much  appreciated  in  Washington  society,  and 
it  soon  became  an  established  fact  that  the 
social  functions,  that  were  lacking  at  the  White 
House,  would  be  more  than  compensated  for 
by  Mrs.  Madison's  evening  receptions. 

With  less  intellectual  ability  than  Mrs. 
Adams,  and  less  stability  and  depth  of  char 
acter  than  Mrs.  Washington,  Mrs.  Madison 
possessed  far  more  tact  and  true  knowledge 
of  the  world  than  either  of  her  predecessors. 
Those  who  would  have  dreaded  the  formality 
of  receptions  at  the  homes  of  the  cabinet 
officers  or  the  foreign  ministers,  were  drawn 
to  Mrs.  Madison's  salon  by  the  irresistible 
attraction  of  her  personality  and  the  warmth 
of  her  welcome.  Long  before  Mr.  Madison 
was  elected  President  of  the  United  States, 
Mrs.  Madison's  evenings  were  important  social 
and  political  functions,  which  were  attended 
by  literary  men,  artists,  wits  and  beauties, 
as  well  as  by  statesmen  and  cabinet  ladies, 
and  this  not  because  she  was  an  intellectual 
woman,  a  wit,  or  a  beauty,  but  because  she 
possessed  the  greatest  social  power  that  a 
woman  can  wield,  the  ability  to  draw  men 
and  women  of  various  tastes  around  her,  to 
hold  their  interest  and  admiration,  and,  above 

192 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

all,  to  enable  them  to  appear  at  their  best. 
In  Mrs.  Madison's  drawing-room  she  shone 
herself,  because  she  was  well  fitted  to  shine 
by  her  beauty,  her  grace  and  her  taet ;  but 
her  greatest  talent  was  her  power  of  making 
others  shine.  Statesmen  and  diplomats  were 
glad  to  attend  Mrs.  Madison's  evenings  be 
cause  they  admired  her  and  enjoyed  the  soci 
ety  of  those  whom  she  gathered  around  her, 
while  strangers,  who  came  to  Washington  in 
those  days,  found  her  drawing-room  a  place 
where  the  shyest  and  the  least  known  were 
at  once  made  to  feel  at  home  by  the  warm 
welcome  and  unobtrusive  attentions  of  the 
sympathetic  hostess. 

A  number  of  names  comparatively  new  in 
political  life  were  to  be  found  in  Mr.  Jeffer 
son's  cabinet,  as  those  of  Henry  Dearborn,  of 
Maine,  Secretary  of  War,  Gideon  Granger,  of 
Connecticut,  Postmaster-General,  and  Levi 
Lincoln,  of  Massachusetts,  Attorney-General 
of  the  United  States,  side  by  side  with  the  old 
familiar  ones  of  James  Madison,  Secretary  of 
State,  James  Monroe,  John  Marshall,  Chief- 
Justice,  and  Albert  Gallatin,  the  Swiss  patriot, 
who  succeeded  Mr.  Wolcott  as  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury. 

In  the  diplomatic  service  were  such  well- 
known  faces  as  those  of  Mr.  David  Montague 
Erskine,  British  Minister,  and  the  Marquis  de 
Casa  Yrujo.  To  the  Spanish  Minister  Mr. 
Jefferson  was  attached  by  reason  of  his  politi 
cal  sentiments  and  the  family  connections 
13  193 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

which  he  had  made  in  America,  as  his  father- 
in-law,  Governor  McKean,  was  a  personal  as 
well  as  a  political  friend  of  the  President.  The 
Marquis  de  Casa  Yrujo,  who  afterwards  made 
himself  most  unpopular  to  all  parties  by  the 
position  taken  by  him  with  regard  to  the 
purchase  of  Florida  and  Louisiana,  was  a 
favored  individual  during  the  early  years  of 
Mr.  Jefferson's  administration,  and  to  add  to 
his  popularity,  he  was  accompanied  by  his 
beautiful  American  wife.  The  second  son  of 
the  Marquis  de  Casa  Yrujo,  and  the  only  one 
who  lived  to  succeed  to  his  father's  title  and 
estates,  was  born  in  the  republican  capital. 

The  magnificence  of  the  Marquis  de  Casa 
Yrujo  in  his  court  costume,  upon  which 
writers  of  the  time  were  wont  to  dwell,  must 
upon  occasions  have  been  eclipsed  by  that  of 
the  French  Minister,  who  is  thus  described 
by  a  New  Year's  caller  at  the  White  House : 
"After  partaking  of  some  ice-creams  and  a 
glass  of  Madeira,  shaking  hands  with  the 
President  and  tendering  our  good  wishes,  we 
were  preparing  to  leave  the  rooms,  when  our 
attention  was  attracted  through  the  window 
towards  what  we  conceived  to  be  a  rolling 
ball  of  burnished  gold,  carried  with  swiftness 
through  the  air  by  two  gilt  wings.  Our  anxiety 
increased  the  nearer  it  approached,  until  it 
actually  stopped  before  the  door;  and  from  it 
alighted,  weighted  with  gold  lace,  the  French 
Minister  and  suite.  We  now  also  perceived 
that  what  we  had  supposed  to  be  wings,  were 

194 


Copyright,  1900,  by  C.  S.  Bradford. 

Lady  Erskine 

(Frances  Cadwalader) 

By  Gilbert  Stuart 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

nothing  more  than  gorgeous  footmen  with 
chapeaux  bras,  gilt  braided  skirts  and  splen 
did  swords.  Nothing  ever  was  witnessed  in 
Washington  so  brilliant  and  dazzling, — a 
meridian  sun  blazing  full  on  this  carriage  filled 
with  diamonds  and  glittering  orders,  and  gilt 
to  the  edge  of  the  wheels, — you  may  well 
imagine  how  the  natives  stared  and  rubbed 
their  eyes  to  be  convinced  'twas  no  fairy 
dream.  .  .  ." 

The  Marchioness  de  Casa  Yrujo  was  not  the 
only  American  woman  in  the  corps  diplomatique^ 
as  Frances  Cadwalader,  who  had  married  Mr. 
Erskine*  in  1799,  accompanied  her  husband 
when  he  was  appointed  to  Mr.  Merry's  place 
in  Washington. 

A  number  of  letters  written  by  Mrs.  Erskine 
to  her  Philadelphia  relatives,  and  by  friends 
and  members  of  her  family  who  surrounded 
her  in  England,  all  testify  to  the  fine  traits  of 
character  of  this  young  woman  who  married 
at  sixteen,  and  left  her  home  to  live  in  a  foreign 
land  before  she  was  twenty. 

Sarah  Brian,  a  faithful  servant  in  the  Cad 
walader  and  Goldsborough  families,  who  ac 
companied  Mrs.  Erskine's  mother,  Mrs.  John 
Cadwalader,  to  England,  and  lived  for  years 
with  the  Erskines,  has  left  several  interesting 
descriptions  of  Mrs.  Erskine.  In  one  of  her 
letters  from  England,  June  15,  1806,  Sarah 

*  The  Honorable  David  Montague  Erskine  became  Lord 
Erskine  upon  the  death  of  his  father  in  1823. 

I9S 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Brian,  who  seems  to  have  possessed  the  pen 
of  a  ready  writer,  speaks  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Erskine's  departure  for  America.  "  I  do  not 
think,"  she  says,  "  that  Mrs.  Erskine  is  altered 
in  the  least  since  she  left  America  either  in 
look  or  manners.  She  has  the  same  sweet 
ness  of  temper  that  she  had  when  she  was 
Fanny  Cadwalader.  She  was  presented  (at 
Court)  about  2  months  ago.  She  was  dressed 
in  black  crape  with  black  beads  done  all  over 
and  something  like  a  crown  on  her  head  with 
seven  large  feathers  done  in  stars  with  jet  and 
a  great  hoop  that  stuck  out  4  yards  round. 
After  that  she  went  to  the  King's  birthday — 
She  was  dressed  in  white  crape  all  done 
through  with  white  beads,  and  something  like 
a  crown  on  her  head  with  7  great  white  feath 
ers — diamond  earrings  and  necklace.  This 
dress  exclusive  of  the  ornaments  was  40 
guineas  and  the  black  was  30." 

If  Mrs.  Erskine,  who  was  a  rare  beauty, 
appeared  in  Washington  in  costumes  as  bril 
liant  as  those  described  by  Sarah  Brian,  she 
must  have  been  greatly  admired.  In  one  of 
her  letters,  written  to  her  cousin,  Miss  Mere 
dith,  sometime  before  Mrs.  Erskine's  return  to 
America,  she  speaks  of  the  prevalence  of  the 
turban  in  London,  which  gained  such  ascend 
ency  in  America  during  the  social  reign  of 
Mrs.  Madison.  "Turkish  turbans  made  of 
soft  "muslin  rolled  round  the  head  are  very 
much  worn,  they  are  extremely  pretty  with  a 
Bird  of  Paradise  Feather  put  in  at  the  side 

196 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  drooping  very  low  over  one  eye."  Al 
though  Mrs.  Erskine  says  that  she  never 
wears  a  turban  herself,  as  she  thinks  that  a 
young  person  looks  best  with  nothing  at  all 
upon  her  head,  she  quotes  the  high  price  of 
wigs  and  tells  her  cousin  that  she  has  one 
for  which  she  paid  six  guineas,  which  she 
intends  shall  last  her  the  rest  of  her  life. 

The  Erskines  spent  some  weeks  with  Lord 
and  Lady  Listen,*  at  their  country-seat  six 
miles  from  Edinburgh,  before  sailing  for  Amer 
ica.  Mrs.  Cadwalader,  Mrs.  Erskine's  mother, 
was  with  her  during  this  visit,  and  her  four 
children,  two  of  whom  she  brought  to  America 
with  her. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erskine  returned  to  England 
about  1809,  when  Mr.  Francis  Jackson  was 
appointed  Minister  from  Great  Britain.  Mr. 
Samuel  Breck,  who  was  in  Washington  in 
October,  1809,  speaks  of  lodging  at  the  Union 
Inn  with  "  Mr.  Jackson  and  his  family  (a  new 
minister  plenipotentiary  arrived  from  Eng 
land),  Mr.  Erskine  (the  recalled  Minister),  and 
Mr.  Wood,  the  British  Consul  of  Baltimore." 

Lord  Erskine  was  for  many  years  British 
Minister  to  Wurtemberg  and  to  Bavaria. 
From  Stuttgart  Lady  Erskine  wrote  charming 
letters  to  her  mother  in  England,  telling  her 
of  the  many  pleasures  of  her  life,  which  Mrs. 

*  Sir  Robert  Listen  had  been  British  Minister  to  the 
United  States  during  President  Washington's  administra 
tion. 

197 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Cadwalader  declined  to  share  on  account  of 
her  dread  of  the  sea.  Mrs.  Erskine  dwells  with 
enthusiasm  upon  the  beauty  of  the  flowers, 
especially  of  the  roses,  and  the  orange-trees 
in  full  flower.  She  also  speaks  of  the  great 
kindness  of  the  dowager  Queen,  whose  invi 
tation  to  Frederick's  Haven  she  and  Lord 
Erskine  have  been  obliged  to  accept,  because 
they  were  invited  the  year  before  and  did  not 
go.  Faithful  Sarah  Brian  in  one  of  her  letters 
has  left  a  pleasant  picture  of  Lady  Erskine 
and  her  half  dozen  beautiful  daughters,  playing 
Ladies  Bountiful  to  the  destitute  peasantry 
near  their  Bavarian  home.  Mary,  Elizabeth, 
Stewarta,  Margaret,  Sevilla,  and  Jane  all 
come  in  for  a  share  of  the  fond  foster- 
mother's  admiration;  "but  Miss  Jane,"  she 
adds,  "  will,  I  think,  be  the  greatest  beauty  of 
them  all."* 

*  Mary  Erskine  married  Hermann  Tautphceus  Count  Von 
Baumgarten  of  Bavaria,  and  lived  in  the  great  Chateau 
of  Ehring.  Mary  Erskine  was  not  the  author  of  "  The 
Initials,"  as  has  often  been  stated.  The  Baroness 
Tautphoeus,  who  wrote  the  novels,  was  a  Scotch  lady, 
Jemima  Montgomery.  Jane  Erskine,  in  1837,  married 
her  cousin,  James  H.  Callander,  great-grandson  of  Henry 
David  Erskine,  Earl  of  Buchan.  J.  T.  Headley,  in  his 
"Letters  from  Italy,"  speaks  of  meeting  Mrs.  Callander 
at  Genoa  :  "  The  other  evening  I  was  at  an  unusually  bril 
liant  assembly  at  the  Palace  of  the  Governor,  and  as  I  was 
standing  amid  a  group  of  officers  I  caught  a  view  of  a 
head  and  face  that  drew  from  me  an  involuntary  exclama 
tion,  there  was  a  beauty  and  expression  about  it  I  had  seen 
but  once  before  in  my  life,  but  no  one  could  tell  me  who 

198 


Dr.  John  Bullus 
By  Gilbert  Stuart 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Among  women  who  were  prominent  in  the 
social  life  of  Washington  were  Mrs.  William 
W.  Seaton  (Sarah  Gales),  Mrs.  Albert  Galla- 
tin,  Mrs.  James  Monroe,  an  elegant  and  ac 
complished  woman  although  not  as  fond  of 
society  as  Mrs.  Madison ;  Mrs.  Alexander 
Macomb,  Mrs.  Richard  Rush,  and  Mrs.  John 
Bullus,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Charles 
Rumsey,  of  Cecil  County,  Maryland. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bullus  went  to  Washington 
soon  after  their  marriage,  in  1800,  and  lived 
there  a  number  of  years.  Dr.  Bullus  had 
studied  medicine  in  Philadelphia  with  Dr. 
Benjamin  Rush,  and  entered  the  navy  as  sur 
geon  when  war  with  France  was  imminent. 
He  afterwards  resigned  his  commission  to 
accept  an  appointment  as  Consul  to  Mar- 


she  was  or  where  she  came  from,  yet  all  looked  as  if  they 
would  give  the  world  to  know.  At  length  seeing  her  seated 
in  familiar  conversation  beside  a  lady  with  whom  I  was 
acquainted,  I  soon  pierced  the  mystery  that  surrounded 
her.  You  can  guess  my  surprise  and  pleasure  to  learn  that 
this  beauty  was  of  American  origin.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Lord  Erskine,  who  "when  Minister  [Secy,  of  Legation] 
to  the  U.  S.  had  married  a  beautiful  Philadelphia  lady, 
daughter  of  Mr.  Cadwalader,  who  it  seems  has  transmitted 
the  charms  that  had  enthralled  the  noble,  Lord  to  the 
daughter.  You  can  judge  of  the  effect  of  American  beauty 
on  the  Italians  when  I  tell  you  that  while  I  stood  by  her 
the  young  nobles  marched  by  her  in  regular  platoons  and 
paused  as  they  came  opposite  to  her  and  gazed  as  if  they 
had  been  moon-struck.  The  radiant  creature  sat  quite  un 
conscious  of  all  this  of  course,  as  the  lady  sitting  by  her 
side  not  very  amiably  whispered  to  me." 
199 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

seilles,  and,  sailing  with  his  wife  and  family 
on  the  "  Chesapeake,"  with  Captain  James 
Barren,  in  June,  1807,  was  a  witness  of  and 
a  participant  in  the  very  remarkable  en 
counter  between  the  "  Chesapeake  "  and  the 
"  Leopard."  Having  removed  his  wife  and 
children  to  a  place  of  safety,  Dr.  Bullus  took 
his  position  on  deck  and  remained  there  during 
this  one-sided  and  unequal  engagement.  After 
the  "  Chesapeake  "  returned  to  port,  Dr.  Bul 
lus  relinquished  the  consulate  at  Marseilles. 
Having  been  an  eye-witness  of  the  affair  be 
tween  the  "Chesapeake"  and  the  "Leopard," 
he  was  selected  by  President  Madison  as 
bearer  of  despatches  and  sent  to  England  in 
relation  to  the  matter. 

A  pleasant  little  story  is  told  by  the  Bullus 
family  which  gives  some  idea  of  the  generous 
hospitality  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Custis,  of  Arling 
ton.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bullus  were  invited  to  a 
tea-party  at  Arlington.  Mrs.  Bullus  was  not 
able  to  accompany  her  husband.  While  at  the 
table  Dr.  Bullus  admired  the  beautiful  cups 
and  saucers,  which  were  of  Sevres  china,  each 
one  bearing  the  initials  G.  W.  in  gold  letters 
as  they  belonged  to  a  set  of  china  presented 
to  General  Washington  by  the  Comte  de  Cus- 
tine.  The  next  day  came  a  basket  of  goose 
berries  from  Mrs.  Custis  to  Mrs.  Bullus,  and 
buried  under  the  berries  was  one  of  the  beau 
tiful  cups  and  saucers. 

Mrs.  Custis  was  the  wife  of  Mr.  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis,  of  Arlington,  the 
200 


Mrs.  John  Bullus 
By  Gilbert  Stuart 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

grandson  of  Mrs.  Washington  and  the  adopted 
son  of  the  General.  Mrs.  Custis,  her  sister- 
in-law,  Mrs.  Lawrence  Lewis,  who  lived  at 
Mount  Vernon  during  her  grandmother's  life, 
and  Mrs.  Bushrod  Washington,  who  resided 
there  after  Mrs.  Washington's  death,  were  all 
much  in  Washington  society  in  the  early  years 
of  the  century.  Mrs.  Lawrence  Lewis's  sis 
ters,  Mrs.  Thomas  Peter  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Law,  were  both  living  in  Washington.  Mrs. 
Law  was  as  beautiful  as  Mrs.  Lewis,  although 
of  a  less  spirituellc  and  delicate  type  of  beauty. 
It  is  said  that  when  Gilbert  Stuart  was  paint 
ing  a  portrait  of  General  Washington,  Mrs. 
Law,  then  Eliza  Custis,  came  in  from  the 
garden  and  stood  with  her  arms  folded  watch 
ing  the  progress  of  the  painting.  The  artist 
looked  up  from  his  work,  and,  with  his  quick 
appreciation  of  the  character  and  grace  of  the 
pose  as  well  as  of  the  beauty  of  the  face,  ex 
claimed  that  he  would  like  to  paint  a  portrait 
of  Miss  Custis  just  as  she  stood,  and  thus  it 
was  painted. 

It  was  when  Mr.  Law  offered  himself  to 
Miss  Custis  that  General  Washington  wrote 
her  his  famous  letter,  giving  her  his  own  philo 
sophic  views  of  love  and  marriage.  Unfor 
tunately,  the  young  girl  did  not  listen  to  the 
words  of  wisdom  contained  in  this  epistle ; 
for,  although  Mr.  Law's  appearance,  bril 
liancy,  and  great  wealth  were  quite  sufficient 
to  bewilder  any  girl  in  her  teens,  his  eccen 
tricities  were  such  as  to  preclude  any  hope 

201 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  real  happiness.  An  habitut  of  Washington 
City  in  the  early  years  of  the  century,  in  speak 
ing  of  Mr.  Law  as  one  of  the  celebrities  of  the 
capital,  said  that  there  were  few  persons  then 
living  who  had  not  some  anecdote  to  relate 
respecting  his  eccentricities  as  well  as  his 
brilliant  talent.  This  distinguished  gentleman 
was  a  younger  brother  of  Lord  Ellenborough, 
who  had  succeeded  Lord  Kenyon  as  Lord 
Chief  Justice  of  the  King's  Bench. 

Mr.  Law's  early  life  had  been  passed  in 
India  with  Lord  Cornwallis,  where  he  held  a 
high  civil  position,  whose  duties  he  discharged 
with  signal  ability.  "  Infected  by  the  spirit  of 
liberty  then  moving  all  nations,"  said  a  con 
temporary  writer,  "  Mr.  Law's  enthusiasm  was 
roused  in  favor  of  Republican  institutions, 
and,  inspired  with  ardent  admiration  for  the 
character  of  Washington,  he  came  to  America; 
having  however,  no  political  affinities  whatever 
in  this  country.  He  attracted  much  attention 
from  his  fine  person,  aristocratic  connections, 
and  undoubted  genius,  and  also  from  his 
wealth,  which,  accumulated  in  the  golden 
days  of  India,  was  dissipated  chiefly  through 
building  speculations,  for  which  he  had  a 
mania;  while  he  was  also  generous,  prodigal 
indeed,  in  good  works,  as  in  the  hospitalities 
dispensed  at  his  country-seat  near  Washing 
ton." 

The  simplicity  and  informality  introduced 
by  Mr.  Jefferson,  disappeared  with  astonishing 
rapidity  during  the  next  administration,  when 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mrs.  Madison  held  undisputed  sway  in  the 
social  world. 

Mrs.  William  Seaton,  describing  Mrs.  Madi 
son's  drawing-room,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend, 
said :  "  Her  majesty's  appearance  was  truly 
regal, — dressed  in  a  robe  of  pink  satin,  trimmed 
elaborately  with  ermine,  a  white  velvet  and 
satin  turban,  with  nodding  ostrich-plumes  and 
a  crescent  in  front,  gold  chains  and  clasps 
around  the  waist  and  wrists.  "Pis  here  the 
woman  who  adorns  the  dress,  and  not  the 
dress  that  beautifies  the  woman.  I  cannot 
conceive  a  female  better  calculated  to  dignify 
the  station  which  she  occupies  in  society  than 
Mrs.  Madison, — Amiable  in  private  life  and 
affable  in  public,  she  is  admired  and  esteemed 
by  the  rich  and  beloved  by  the  poor.  You  are 
aware  that  she  snuffs;  but  in  her  hands  the 
snuff-box  seems  only  a  gracious  implement 
with  which  to  charm.  Her  frank  cordiality  to 
all  her  guests  is  in  contrast  to  the  manner  of 
the  President,  who  is  formal,  reserved  and 
precise,  yet  not  wanting  in  a  certain  dignity. 
Being  so  low  of  stature,  he  was  in  imminent 
danger  of  being  confounded  with  the  plebeian 
crowd,  and  was  pushed  and  jostled  about 
like  a  common  citizen, — but  not  so  with  her 
ladyship  !  The  towering  feathers  and  exces 
sive  throng  distinctly  pointed  out  her  station 
wherever  she  moved." 

Mrs.  Seaton  was  surprised  and  shocked  by 
the  amount  of  powder  and  rouge  used  by 
fashionable  women,  many  of  whom  spoke 
203 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

quite  frankly  of  putting  on  these  "  foreign  aids 
of  ornament,"  as  they  talked  of  wearing  lace 
or  jewels.  Mrs.  Seaton  was  also  scandalized 
by  the  decolleti  style  of  dressing  among  women 
of  all  ages.  "  Madame  Bonaparte,"  she  said, 
"is  a  model  of  fashion,  and  many  of  our  belles 
strive  to  imitate  her ;  .  .  .  .  but  without  equal 
eclat,  as  Madame  Bonaparte  has  certainly  the 
most  transcendently  beautiful  back  and  shoul 
ders  that  ever  were  seen." 

"  Mrs.  Madison  is  said  to  rouge,"  wrote 
Mrs.  Seaton,  "  but  not  evident  to  my  eyes,  and 
I  do  not  think  it  true,  as  I  am  well  assured  I 
saw  her  color  come  and  go  at  the  naval  ball, 
when  the  Macedonian  flag  was  presented  to 
her  by  young  Hamilton." 

In  the  midst  of  gayety  and  merrymaking, 
there  came,  during  Mr.  Madison's  second  term 
in  office,  days  of  suspense  to  the  country,  and 
of  danger  to  the  capital  which  was  not  forti 
fied  or  in  any  way  prepared  for  defence.  The 
new  Republic  was  suddenly  brought  face  to 
face  with  a  proposition  with  which  it  has  been 
confronted  in  later  times.  The  Commander- 
in-chief  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States 
was  a  great  statesman  ;  but  he  knew  nothing 
practically  of  war,  and  matters  were  not  im 
proved  by  the  presence  at  his  right  hand  of  an 
ineffectual  Secretary  of  War.  General  Arm 
strong  saw  no  reason  to  fortify  the  capital  of 
the  nation,  and  that  capital  was  speedily  taken 
possession  of  by  the  trained  soldiers  of  a  war 
like  people. 

204 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mr.  Madison,  in  company  with  the  Secre 
taries  of  War  and  of  the  Navy,  had  gone  to 
Eladensburg  on  the  day  of  the  battle.  General 
Armstrong  assured  Mrs.  Madison  before  he 
left  Washington  that  there  was  no  danger. 
Unwilling  to  quit  her  post  until  her  husband's 
return,  anxious  for  his  safety,  perhaps  still 
more  anxious  to  silence  hostile  tongues,  this 
heroic  woman  saw  one  official  after  another 
leave  Washington  ;  but  not  until  a  messenger 
from  Mr.  Madison  arrived,  crying  "  Clear  out ! 
clear  out!  General  Armstrong  has  ordered  a 
retreat,"  did  Mrs.  Madison  prepare  to  leave 
the  White  House.  In  the  hurry  and  confusion 
of  this  departure,  she  had  the  courage  and 
presence  of  mind  to  secure  the  Stuart  portrait 
of  General  Washington,  which  hung  upon  the 
dining-room  wall.  As  it  could  not  be  easily 
unscrewed  from  the  wall,  Mrs.  Madison  di 
rected  the  doorkeeper  and  the  gardener  of  the 
White  House  to  break  the  frame  with  an  axe. 
The  canvas  was  thus  removed,  "without  injury 
to  the  portrait,  and  conveyed  to  a  place  of 
safety  in  Georgetown.  Whatever  may  have 
been  said  of  Mr.  Madison's  timidity  in  the 
face  of  war,  nothing  derogatory  to  the  courage 
and  spirit  of  Mrs.  Madison  could  have  been 
said  with  any  shadow  of  truth.  Many  were 
the  quips  and  quirks  then  freely  circulated 
about  the  President,  among  them  the  follow 
ing  couplet  attributed  to  an  American  Scott; 

"Fly  Monroe,  fly!    Run  Armstrong,  run! 
Were  the  last  words  of  Madison." 
205 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

When  the  President  and  Mrs.  Madison  re 
turned  to  the  capital,  which  had  been  shorn 
of  its  glory  by  the  vandalism  of  General  Ross 
and  Admiral  Cockburn,  they  rented  a  house  at 
the  corner  of  New  York  Avenue  and  Eigh 
teenth  Street,  called  the  "Octagon  House." 
In  this  mansion,  which  had  been  built  by 
Colonel  John  Tayloe,  of  Mount  Airy,  Virginia, 
the  Treaty  of  Ghent  was  signed,  which  ended 
the  second  war  with  Great  Britain. 

The  reception  given  by  the  President  and 
Mrs.  Madison  after  the  signing  of  the  Treaty  of 
Ghent,  is  described  by  residents  of  the  capital 
as  the  most  brilliant  ever  held  in  Washington. 
Mrs.  Madison,  rejoicing  in  the  assurance  of 
peace  and  of  the  restored  popularity  of  her 
husband,  received  her  guests  with  smiles,  and 
as  she  passed  from  group  to  group  radiated  an 
atmosphere  of  happiness  and  good-will. 

"The  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  were 
present  in  their  gowns,"  says  a  contemporary, 
"  at  the  head  of  whom  was  Chief  Justice  Mar 
shall.  The  Peace  Commissioners  to  Ghent 
— Gallatin,  Bayard,  Clay  and  Russell — were 
in  the  company.  Mr.  Adams  alone  was  ab 
sent.  The  levee  was  additionally  brilliant — 
the  heroes  of  the  war  of  1812,  Major-Generals 
Brown,  Gaines,  Scott,  and  Ripley,  with  their 
aides,  all  in  full  dress,  forming  an  attractive 
feature.  The  return  of  peace  had  restored  the 
kindest  feeling  at  home  and  abroad.  .  .  . 

"The  most  notable  feature  of  the  evening 
was  the  magnificent  display  of  the  Diplomatic 

206 


Mrs.  James  H.  Callander 
Page  198 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Corps,  prominent  in  which  was  Sir  Charles 
Bagot,  special  ambassador  from  our  late  en 
emy,  Great  Britain.  It  was  on  this  occasion 
that  Mr.  Bagot  made  the  remark,  that  Mrs. 
Madison  'looked  every  inch  a  queen.'  " 

Mrs.  James  M.  Mason,  who  went  to  Wash 
ington  as  a  bride  during  President  Monroe's 
administration,  wrote  many  letters  to  her 
mother,  Mrs.  Benjamin  Chew,  and  to  her  sister 
in  Philadelphia,  describing  the  pleasures  and 
gayeties  of  the  capital.  In  one  of  her  letters 
Mrs.  Mason  speaks  of  the  great  difficulty  in 
returning  visits  as  the  houses,  even  at  this 
time,  were  so  far  apart. 

The  marriage  of  the  President's  daughter, 
Miss  Maria  Monroe,  was,  she  says,  the  ab 
sorbing  topic  of  interest  in  the  gay  world.  Of 
this  approaching  festivity,  Miss  Ann  Elbertina 
Van  Ness  wrote  to  Miss  Ann  Chew:  "I  sup 
pose  the  news  of  our  old  school-mate's  en 
gagement  has  reached  you,  long  since;  The 
ninth  of  this  month  is  the  day  fixed  on  for 
the  wedding.  I  can  scarcely  realize  it;  to  think 
that  last  winter,  we  were  at  school  together, 
and  now  she  is  about  to  become  Mrs.  Gouv- 
erneur.  ...  I  have  laughed  at  little  Rias  (as 
we  used  to  call  her)  more  than  once  about  it." 

Mrs.  Seaton  speaks  in  one  of  her  letters  of 
Mrs.  Gouverneur,  the  bride,  receiving  in  her 
mother's  place  at  the  drawing-room  following 
the  wedding,  while  "  Mrs.  Monroe  mingled 
with  other  citizens.  The  bridal  festivities," 
she  adds,  "have  received  a  check  which  will 
207 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

prevent  any  further  attentions  to  the  Presi 
dent's  family,  in  the  murder  of  Decatur!  The 
first  ball,  which  we  attended,  consequent  on 
the  wedding  was  given  by  the  Decaturs.  Invi 
tations  were  out  from  Van  Ness,  Commodore 
Porter,  &c,  all  of  which  were  remanded  on  so 
fatal  a  catastrophe  to  a  man  identified  with 
the  success  of  the  country  in  the  late  war." 
In  one  of  her  letters,  Mrs.  Mason  gives  a 
pleasant  picture  of  Mrs.  Madison  as  she  ap 
peared  in  later  years.  After  her  husband's 
death,  Mrs.  Madison  returned  to  Washington, 
and  was  at  this  time  living  in  the  house  at 
the  corner  of  H  Street  and  Madison  Place, 
which  is  still  pointed  out  to  visitors  as  the 
Dolly  Madison  house.  "  Yesterday  I  posi 
tively  determined  to  go  back  to  Clermont," 
wrote  Mrs.  Mason,  "yet  again  I  was  over 
ruled  and  carried  to  the  Capitol  to  see  Mrs. 
Madison  and  other  great  folks.  .  .  .  Tell  papa, 
Mrs.  Madison  inquired  very  especially  for  him 
and  desired  me  to  reciprocate  his  remem 
brances,  she  was  quite  eloquent  when  she 
described  his  elegant  appearance  and  man 
ners.  She  is  a  very  charming  old  lady  and 
quite  captivated  me  by  her  encomiums  of  my 
Father  and  of  my  Husband." 

In  one  of  Mr.  Mason's  letters  to  Miss  Chew 
he  says,  "  Mrs.  Madison  is  a  particular  pet 
being  only  four  score  years."  Men  and  women 
still  living  in  Washington,  recall  Mrs.  Madison 
as  she  appeared  in  her  old  age,  still  wearing 
her  turban  with  a  grace  and  dignity  all  her  own, 
208 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

still  extending  a  charming  and  cordial  welcome 
to  all  who  gathered  around  her.  She  was  al 
ways,  says  one  who  remembers  seeing  her  at 
Mr.  Webster's  house  on  H  Street,  the  centre 
of  attraction  in  whatever  circle  she  appeared. 
The  years  when  Mrs.  Madison  held  sway  in 
the  society  of  the  capital  will  ever  be  looked 
upon  as  the  golden  age  of  Washington  society. 
The  city  was  still  small  enough  for  all  the 
great  folk  to  be  gathered  together  in  one  draw 
ing-room,  when  Mrs.  Madison,  in  the  White 
House  or  in  her  more  modest  home  on  H 
Street,  drew  around  her  all  distinguished  per 
sons  who  visited  the  capital.  Having  been 
a  bride  during  the  second  administration  of 
Washington,  and  familiar  with  the  generals  of 
the  Revolution,  Mrs.  Madison  lived  until  after 
the  inauguration  of  President  Polk,  and  wel 
comed  to  her  home  the  heroes  of  the  War  of 
1812  and  of  the  Mexican  War. 


14  209 


CHAPTER  VI.  AN  EARLY  ART  CEN 
TRE 

HEN  music,  and  the  fine  arts  come 
to  prosper  at  Philadelphia  ;  when 
society  once  becomes  easy  and 
gay  there,  and  they  learn  to  accept  of  pleas 
ure  when  it  presents  itself,  without  a  formal 
invitation,  then  may  foreigners  enjoy  all  the 
advantages  peculiar  to  their  manners  and  gov 
ernment,  without  envying  anything  in  Eu 
rope."  So  wrote  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux 
of  the  Quaker  City  during  the  Revolution. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  music,  art  came 
early  to  Philadelphia,  and  this  despite  the 
Quaker  element  in  the  community,  which 
was,  to  some  extent,  opposed  to  the  fine  arts. 
That  all  Friends  did  not  disapprove  of  portrait 
painting  is  evident  from  the  numerous  por 
traits  which  have  been  handed  down  to  this 
generation  in  the  families  of  the  Morrises, 
Fishers,  Emlens,  Howells,  Rawles,  Pember- 
tons,  and  many  leading  Friends.  Others  were 
conscientiously  opposed  to  the  encouragement 
of  art,  and  in  this  class  were  Elizabeth  and 
Henry  Drinker,  as  appears  from  the  following 
entry  in  Mrs.  Drinker's  diary : 

"  A  man  called  this  afternoon  to  see  if  H.  D. 
would  subscribe  for  a  portrait  of  David  Rit- 
tenhouse.  I  told  him  that  my  husband  was 

210 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

abroad,  and  if  at  home,  I  believed  it  would 
not  suit,  as  he  was  one  that  did  not  deal  in 
pictures.  He  said  that  several  genteel  Quakers 
had  subscribed.  I  was  desirous  of  saving  my 
husband  the  trouble  of  refusing,  or  the  man 
of  calling  again." 

As  an  offset  to  the  discouragement  given  to 
artists  by  the  Drinkers,  and  others  of  their  way 
of  thinking,  generous  patronage  was  given  to 
art  by  a  number  of  citizens,  and  many  portraits 
were  painted  in  Philadelphia  in  Colonial  days 
by  Gustavus  and  John  Hesselius,  John  Wool- 
aston,  Robert  Feke,  John  Watson,  Henry 
Bembridge,  Matthew  Pratt,  Benjamin  West, 
and  Charles  Willson  Peale.  Whether  born  in 
Philadelphia  or  elsewhere,  all  artists  of  note 
drifted  to  this  city  sooner  or  later,  some  to 
make  their  homes  here,  like  Charles  Willson 
Peale  and  his  brother  James,  Thomas  Sully, 
William  Russel  Birch,  Pierre  Henri,*  Edward 
Miles,  John  Henry  Brown,  and  John  Sartain. 
Others  came  for  a  stay  of  more  or  less  length, 
as  Stuart,  Inman,  Trott,  Jarvis,  Malbone,  Free 
man,  and  many  native  and  foreign  artists. 

M.  Henri  brought  with  him  credentials  from 
the  Royal  Academy  of  London,  and  appears 

*  The  following  notice  in  the  Pennsylvania  Packet  proves 
that  M.  Henri  was  painting  in  Philadelphia  in  1790  :  "  Mr. 
P.  Henri,  Miniature  Painter  from  Paris,  respectfully  in 
forms  the  Public  that  he  is  living  in  Front  Street,  oppo 
site  the  City  Vendue  (the  Door  facing  the  Tree)  and  that 
he  will  do  himself  the  honor  to  wait  on  Ladies,  at  their 
request." 

2X1 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

to  have  painted  miniatures  in  Richmond  be 
fore  coming  to  Philadelphia. 

This  concentration  of  art  interest  in  Phila 
delphia  for  some  years,  was  doubtless  due  to 
the  great  patronage  given  to  artists,  especially 
to  portrait  painters,  during  the  early  sessions 
of  Congress  and  later,  when  Philadelphia  was 
the  seat  of  government.  Men  and  women 
were  drawn  to  this  city  from  all  parts  of  the 
country.  Many  of  the  statesmen  and  warriors 
of  the  Revolution  had  their  portraits  painted 
while  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  those  of  their 
wives  and  daughters. 

In  consequence  of  the  early  encouragement 
given  to  native  artists  by  Mr.  William  Hamil 
ton,  Mr.  Joseph  Shippen,  Mr.  Thomas  Hopkin- 
son,  Chief-Justice  Allen,  and  by  many  other 
citizens  of  Philadelphia,  an  Academy  of  the 
Fine  Arts  was  formed  in  Philadelphia  early 
in  the  next  century.  The  plan  for  this  Art 
Society,  as  it  was  first  called,  was  formulated 
in  the  studio  of  Rembrandt  Peale,  at  the  State 
House.*  The  committee  appointed  to  secure  a 
building  for  the  art  studies  and  exhibitions  of 
the  Academy  was  composed  of  George  Clymer, 
William  Poyntell,  John  Redman  Coxe,  William 
Rush,  and  John  Dorsey.  The  only  artist  on 
the  committee  was  William  Rush,  who  pos 
sessed  great  ability  as  a  sculptor  and  carver  in 
wood,  as  is  proved  by  his  noble  figure  of  Gen- 

*  The  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts,  formed 
in  1805,  was  the  outgrowth  of  Charles  W.  Peale's  effort  to 
organize  an  art  school  in  Philadelphia  as  early  as  1791. 

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eral  Washington,  now  in  Independence  Hall, 
Philadelphia. 

Charles  Willson  Peale  was  painting  in  Phila 
delphia  as  early  as  1772.  One  of  his  best  por 
traits  is  of  Judge  William  Barton.  Mr.  Peale 
also  painted  a  portrait  of  Mrs.  William  Barton. 
This  picture  of  Mrs.  Barton  (Elizabeth  Rhea) 
represents  the  young  mother  with  one  of  her 
little  daughters,  Betsy  Barton,  in  her  arms. 

The  miniatures  of  Charles  Willson  Peale 
and  his  brother  James  are  not  so  readily 
authenticated  as  their  portraits,  but  every 
year  more  and  more  of  James  Peale's  minia 
tures  are  being  discovered.  With  a  powerful 
magnifying  glass,  the  initials  J.  P.  may  be  dis 
cerned  upon  the  background  of  many  a  minia 
ture  whose  owners  have  relegated  it  to  the 
region  of  the  unknown  in  art.  In  delicacy  and 
grace  of  treatment,  and  in  exquisiteness  of 
finish,  James  Peale  is  only  excelled  by  Mai- 
bone,  while  in  strength  and  individuality  of 
expression  he  sometimes  surpasses  the  Rhode 
Island  artist.  Among  interesting  miniatures 
by  James  Peale,  which  have  recently  come  to 
light,  are  those  of  Dr.  John  Bullus,  whose  por 
trait  was  also  painted  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  and 
two  very  fine  miniatures  of  Tench  Francis  and 
of  Mr.  William  Sergeant,  a  son  of  Jonathan 
Dickinson  Sergeant.  A  miniature  of  Charles 
Hall,  a  prominent  Pennsylvania  lawyer,  who 
began  his  legal  career  in  Sunbury,  Northum 
berland  County,  bears  some  marks  of  James 
Peale's  style,  while  another  unsigned  and  very 
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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

beautiful  miniature  of  Mr.  Hall,  painted  some 
years  earlier,  is  so  fine  and  delicate  in  treat 
ment  and  color  as  to  suggest  the  hand  of  a 
French  artist.  Mr.  Hall  was  however  never 
abroad,  having  been  born  and  having  spent  his 
early  years  at  his  father's  place,  Mount  Wel 
come,  Cecil  County,  Maryland.  He  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Coleman,  and  after  his  mar 
riage  lived  in  Sunbury,  in  the  active  practice 
of  his  profession.  If  Mr.  Charles  Hall's  min 
iature  was  the  work  of  a  foreign  hand,  it  must 
have  been  painted  by  one  of  the  French  or 
English  artists  who  were  in  America  in  the 
latter  years  of  the  century.  The  miniature 
was  probably  painted  about  1796,  the  time  of 
Mr.  Hall's  marriage  to  Miss  Coleman. 

Another  interesting  unsigned  miniature, 
painted  in  Philadelphia  about  1778,  is  that  of 
Mrs.  Jonathan  Dickinson  Sergeant,  which  may 
have  been  the  work  of  the  elder  Peale,  as  it 
was  too  early  for  the  best  work  of  his  brother 
James.  This  miniature,  if  executed  by  Charles 
Willson  Peale,  is  an  example  of  the  artist  at 
his  very  best,  as  it  excels  his  other  minia 
tures,  although  it  bears  some  general  resem 
blance  to  a  well-authenticated  miniature  by 
him  of  Mrs.  James  Montgomery,  and  to  one  of 
his  daughter,  Angelica  Peale,  afterwards  Mrs. 
Alexander  Robinson,  of  Baltimore.  Mrs.  Ser 
geant  was  a  daughter  of  the  Reverend  Elihu 
Spencer,  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  wife  of  the 
able  and  patriotic  New  Jersey  lawyer,  Jona 
than  Dickinson  Sergeant.  Mr.  Sergeant  was 
214 


Mrs.  Jonathan  Dickinson  Sergeant 


Mrs.  Alexander  Robinson 
By  Charles  Willson  Peale 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  rep 
resenting  New  Jersey,  and  was  afterwards 
Attorney-General  for  Pennsylvania.  While  at 
tending  the  sessions  of  Congress,  in  1776,  Mr. 
Sergeant  was  obliged  to  leave  his  wife  and 
infant  son  at  Princeton.  Upon  the  approach 
of  the  British,  Mr.  Spencer  being  obnoxious  to 
the  enemy  in  consequence  of  his  well-known 
patriotism,  a  message  was  sent  by  General 
Mercer  to  warn  him  of  his  danger,  while  Dr. 
Bainbridge,  of  Princeton,  aroused  Mrs.  Ser 
geant,  and  insisted  upon  her  starting  at  once 
with  her  sister  and  child  to  McConkey's 
Ferry,  on  the  Delaware,  where  her  husband 
had  arranged  to  meet  her  in  case  she  should 
be  obliged  to  leave  Princeton.  Mrs.  Sergeant 
was  afterwards  joined  by  her  father,  Mr.  Spen 
cer,  at  McConkey's  Ferry.  Here  the  family 
party  had  a  joyful  reunion,  and  spent  the  night 
in  a  little  hut,  under  the  protection  of  a  com 
pany  of  American  soldiers  on  their  way  to  join 
General  Washington.* 

William  Russell  Birch,  who  is  known  to-day 
chiefly  through  his  very  fine  portraits  of  Gen 
eral  Washington,  and  his  views  of  houses  and 
country-seats  in  and  around  New  York,  Phila 
delphia,  Washington,  and  other  cities,  was  a 

*  Mrs.  Sergeant  died  in  June,  1787,  and  Mr.  Sergeant 
married,  in  December,  1788,  Elizabeth  Rittenhouse,  a 
daughter  of  David  Rittenhouse,  the  astronomer.  The  first 
Mrs.  Sergeant  was  the  mother  of  the  Honorable  John  Ser 
geant,  who,  like  his  father,  was  a  distinguished  lawyer  and 
public-spirited  citizen. 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

very  remarkable  workman  in  enamel.  This 
artist's  work  is  unique ;  his  method  of  putting 
on  the  enamel  being  an  invention  of  his  own, 
the  result  of  much  painstaking  labor  and  many 
experiments.  "  Enamel  painting,"  he  said, 
"is  the  unique  Art  of  heightening  and  pre 
serving  the  beauty  of  tints  to  futurity,  as  given 
in  the  Works  of  the  most  celebrated  Masters 
of  Painting,  without  a  possibility  of  their 
changing:  the  colours  are  made  of  metallic 
substances,  metals  and  minerals,  soluted,  cal 
cined,  and  composed  with  glassy  substances, 
commonly  called  Flux,  and  when  layed  on 
bodies  of  their  own  kind  and  placed  in  a  strong 
heat,  will  melt  in  one  with  them,  and  become 
permanent." 

Mr.  Birch  prepared  his  plates  and  made  his 
own  colors.  In  the  course  of  his  work,  he  dis 
covered  that  by  laying  a  thin  coat  of  yellow 
enamel  on  the  metal  plate  before  putting  on 
the  last  coat  of  white,  he  secured  a  warm  tint 
not  to  be  obtained  in  any  other  way.  In  his 
diary,  or  recollections,  he  says  that  after  ex 
perimenting  for  a  month,  he  was  particularly 
fortunate  in  producing  in  enamel  a  Vandyke 
brown,  which  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  was  fond 
of  using.  For  several  years  Mr.  Birch  was 
engaged  in  copying  Sir  Joshua's  famous  por 
traits,  at  the  artist's  own  request,  as  he  seems 
to  have  feared  what  afterwards  came  to  pass, 
that  his  colors,  exquisite  as  they  were,  would 
not  stand  the  test  of  time.  Among  portraits 
copied  in  enamel  by  Mr.  Birch  were  those  of 

216 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  the  Honorable  Mrs. 
Stanhope,  Mrs.  Robertson,  a  portrait  of  Sir 
Joshua  himself,  one  of  the  Marquis  of  Rock- 
ingham,  and  of  Lord  Spencer.  Of  the  Earl  of 
Mansfield,  Lord  Chief-Justice  of  the  King's 
Bench,  a  patron  of  the  artist,  he  made  numer 
ous  copies  in  enamel  from  paintings  by  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds.  Like  a  true-born  son  of 
Britain,  William  Birch  took  great  pride  in  re 
ferring  to  the  generous  patronage  of  his  work 
by  the  English  nobility  and  aristocracy,  and 
the  friendly  relations  that  existed  between 
himself  and  the  Earl  of  Mansfield,  Mr.  Chaun- 
cey,  and  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds. 

In  Mr.  Birch's  recollections,  written  for  the 
benefit  of  his  family,  he  quaintly  tells  of  his 
success  in  inducing  the  Earl  of  Mansfield  to 
sit  to  Sir  Joshua  for  his  portrait.  "  I  was,"  he 
says,  "  first  engaged  in  his  [Lord  Mansfield's] 
patronage  in  copying  Mr.  Copley's  Picture 
from  the  Death  of  Chatham  or  a  picture  so 
nearly  resembling  one  from  it  that  I  could  not 
endure  the  idea  of  handing  down  to  Posterity 
anything  like  second-hand  a  Characature  not 
short  of  the  first  of  the  Age,  and  finding  there 
were  so  many  wanting  of  this  Picture,  or 
portrait,  I  took  the  following  opportunity  of 
speaking  my  mind.  Sitting  at  tea  one  even 
ing  with  his  Lordship  and  the  Ladies,  'Well 
Birch,'  said  he,  'there  is  another  picture  to 
Paint.'  'What  my  Lord  from  Mr.  Copley's 
Picture,'  I  replied,  '  it  appears  to  me  too  much 
like  a  copy  from  another  Picture,  to  hand 

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SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

down  your  Lordship  to  posterity.  I  cannot 
copy  it  my  Lord.'  '  What  would  you  paint 
from,'  he  replied.  '  I  cannot  help  thinking  that 
in  an  age  like  this  where  two  so  great  men 
have  met  as  your  Lordship  and  Sir  Jos'a  that 
it  is  your  Lordship's  duty  to  your  friends  and 
the  public  to  sit  to  Sir  Josh'a  Reynolds.'  He 
paused  a  while  and  came  up  to  me,  « Birch,' 
said  he,  'the  Archbishop  of  York  has  for  these 
ten  years  past  been  soliciting  me  to  sit  to  Sir 
Jos'a  but  I  have  always  refused,  but  you  shall 
go  to  Sir  Joshua  tomorrow  and  tell  him  I 
will  sit  to  him  whenever  he  will  appoint  me.' 
Having  thus  succeeded  in  getting  a  fine  picture 
by  my  own  Master  to  copy  I  set  down  with 
pleasure  to  the  orders,  as  from  the  first  of  the 
list,  the  picture  being  painted  and  much  ap 
proved,  his  Lordship  said  to  me,  '  what  is  to 
be  done  with  the  Archbishop  of  York.'  «  A 
copy  of  the  picture,  my  Lord,  should  be  or 
dered  of  Sir  Joshua  for  his  Grace.'  '  Then  you 
go  and  order  it/  he  replied." 

Mr.  Birch  was  in  England  at  the  time  of  the 
death  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  of  whom  he 
speaks  as  his  departed  friend  and  master,  and 
relates  with  great  pride  the  fact  that  Mr.  West, 
—Benjamin  West, — who  had  the  arrangement 
of  the  procession,  said  to  him  upon  this  occa 
sion,  "I  know  your  standing  with  Sir  Joshua, 
and  as  you  are  not  a  regular  member  of  the 
Academy,  I  have  ordered  a  black  coach  for 
you  to  join  with  the  family."  Soon  after  this 
Judge  Samuel  Chase,  of  Maryland,  was  in 

218 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

London.  Mr.  Birch  says  that  Judge  Chase 
was  connected  with  him  by  marriage,  and 
that  he  saw  him  often  and  had  many  conver 
sations  with  him.*  Judge  Chase  strongly  ad 
vised  the  artist  to  go  to  America,  which  he 
decided  to  do,  taking  his  wife  and  children 
with  him.  The  only  letter  of  introduction 
that  Mr.  Birch  carried  with  him  was  from 
Benjamin  West,  then  President  of  the  Royal 
Academy,  to  Mr.  William  Bingham,  in  Phila 
delphia. 

"  Mr.  Bingham  was  my  first  employer  in 
America,"  says  Mr.  Birch,  "  to  instruct  his 
two  daughters  in  Drawing  at  his  own  house  at 
tended  with  one  of  their  friends,  three  scholars 
twice  a  week,  at  half  a  Guinea  per  lesson  each. 
I  then  built  me  a  furnace,  Painted  a  full  size 
picture  in  Enamel  of  Mr.  Bingham  and  a 
smaller  one  from  it  for  Miss  Bingham,  who 
afterwards  married  Sir  Francis  Baring.  Find 
ing  orders  for  portraits  came  in  fluently,  I  gave 
up  my  scholars." 

Mr.  Birch  had  been  quite  successful  in  en 
graving  heads  and  landscapes  while  in  Eng 
land,  and  now,  under  the  patronage  of  a  number 
of  influential  citizens,  he  set  about  making  his 
celebrated  "  Views  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia 
in  1800."  He  says  that  in  making  these  draw 
ings  he  was  assisted  by  his  son,  and  by  Mr. 


*  Judge  Chase  was  sent  to  England  by  the  Maryland 
Legislature  in  1783,  to  secure  money  that  had  been  invested 
in  the  Bank  of  England  before  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 
219 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Seymour  in  the  work  of  engraving.  In  addi 
tion  to  his  "Views"  of  places  in  and  around 
Philadelphia,  Birch  made  engravings  of  a 
number  of  country-seats  in  Maryland,  Vir 
ginia,  New  York,  and  in  other  States ;  among 
them  is  one  of  Mount  Vernon,  then  the  resi 
dence  of  Judge  Bushrod  Washington.  Ac 
cording  to  the  artist's  own  list,  he  made 
engravings  of  "  Hoboken  in  New  Jersey  the 
seat  of  Mr.  John  Stevens ;  Montobello  the 
seat  of  General  S.  Smith  of  Maryland  &  the 
seat  of  Mr.  Duplantier,  near  New  Orleans." 
Among  these  "  Views"  is  an  engraving,  which 
the  artist  speaks  of  as  "York  Island,  with  a 
view  of  the  seats  of  Mr.  A.  Gracie,  Mr.  Church, 
etc."  Some  of  these  pictures  are  in  water- 
colors,  as  that  of  Point  Breeze,  the  residence 
of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  and  that  of  General  Ma 
son's  seat,  on  Analostan  Island  in  the  Potomac 
River,  with  a  wing  of  his  house  at  George 
town,  and  of  that  of  Mr.  Custis  in  the  distance. 
In  and  about  Philadelphia  Mr.  Birch  made 
engravings  and  water-colors  of  "  Belmont," 
"  Lansdowne,"  "Woodlands,"  "Echo,"  the 
seat  of  Mr.  Beveridge,  "Fairy  Hill,"  which 
the  artist  speaks  of  as  the  residence  of  M.  de 
la  Roche  and  family,*  and  many  other  places 
on  or  near  the  Schuylkill.  Mr.  Birch  also 
made  engravings  of  a  number  of  country-seats 

*  "  Fairy  Hill  "  was  in  quite  a  different  direction  from 
Fairhill,  the  seat  of  Isaac  Norris,  which  was  burned  by 
the  British. 

220 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

on  the  Delaware.  Of  one  of  these  seats, 
"  China  Hall,"  which  was  near  his  own  place, 
"  Springland,"  he  has  left  a  quaint  and  in 
teresting  description.  This  handsome  and 
unique  country-seat,  built  by  Mr.  Van  Braam, 
United  States  Minister  from  Holland,  was 
situated  on  the  Delaware  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Neshaminy  Creek.  Mr.  Van  Braam,  who 
had  spent  many  years  among  the  Chinese,  im 
ported  many  beautiful  and  curious  articles  for 
the  furnishing  and  adornment  of  "  China  Hall," 
and  Mr.  Birch  speaks  of  his  long  boat  manned 
by  eight  Chinese  oarsmen,  dressed  in  white, 
as  a  picturesque  feature  in  the  landscape. 

Gilbert  Stuart  returned  to  America  in  1794, 
and  came  to  Philadelphia  with  a  letter  of  in 
troduction  to  President  Washington  from  Mr. 
John  Jay,  his  highest  ambition  in  life  being 
to  paint  a  satisfactory  portrait  of  the  great 
soldier  and  statesman  for  whom  he  cherished 
so  ardent  an  admiration.  Mr.  Birch  gives  an 
ingenuous  account  of  his  relations  with  the 
artist  and  of  his  first  interview  with  General 
Washington :  "  When  he  [General  Washing 
ton]  was  sitting  to  Stuart,  he  told  him  he  had 
heard  there  was  another  Artist  of  merit  from 
London,  naming  myself,  that  he  would  sit  to 
me  if  I  chose.  Mr.  Stuart  brought  me  the 
message.  I  thanked  Mr.  Stuart,  and  told  him 
that  as  he  had  painted  his  picture,  it  would  be 
a  mark  of  the  highest  imposition  to  trouble 
the  Gen'l  to  sit  to  me,  but  that  when  I  had 
copied  his  Picture  of  him  in  Enamel,  which 

221 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

was  my  forte,  that  I  would  show  it  to  the  Gen., 
and  thank  him  for  his  kind  offer,  which  when  I 
had  done,  I  waited  upon  the  Gen'l  with  a  note. 


"  When  I  saw  the  Gen'l  I  put  the  picture 
into  his  hand,  he  looked  at  it  steadfastly,  but 
from  a  peculiarity  of  solid  habit  in  his  manner, 
left  me  to  look  at  him  as  solid,  till  feeling  my 
self  awkward,  I  begun  the  history  of  Enamel 
Painting,  which  by  the  time  I  got  through, 
he  complimented  me  upon  the  beauty  of  my 
work.  I  then  told  him  how  much  we  was 
beholding  to  Mr.  Stuart  for  the  correctness  of 
his  likeness. 

"  The  annecdote  of  what  Mr.  Stuart  calls 
his  Mount  Vernon  Head,  is  worthy  of  obser 
vation,  it  happened  in  the  first  picture,  near 
its  finish,  when  Mr.  Stuart  turned  his  Head  to 
replenish  his  pallett,  the  Gen'l,  knowing  him 
to  be  a  wit,  took  out  his  set  of  Ivory  teeth,  the 
painter  on  the  turn  of  his  head,  struck  with 
the  additional  dignity  of  Countenance,  told  the 
President,  in  a  tone  of  tranquil  ease,  that  he 
had  been  his  subject  long,  with  pleasure,  but 
know  Sir,  now  you  are  my  subject,  and  must 
to  my  pencil  another  tribute  pay.  A  fresh 
picture  was  agreed  upon,  without  the  teeth, 
which  is  the  one  generally  known.  The  first 
he  called  the  Mount  Vernon  Head ;  I  copied 
one  enamel  from  it,  which  was  purchased  by 
Mr.  McHenry." 

Mr.  Birch  says  that  he  also  made  a  copy  in 

222 


Mrs.  Barnes 
By  William  Russell  Birch 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

enamel  of  the  full-length  portrait  painted  by 
Stuart  for  the  Marquess  of  Lansdowne,  and 
numerous  other  copies  from  the  works  of  this 
artist,  amounting  to  sixty  in  all. 

The  enamels  of  General  Washington  by 
Birch,  and  the  examples  of  his  work  in  heads 
and  in  miniature  groups  and  landscapes  in  the 
collections  of  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts, 
in  Philadelphia,  and  in  possession  of  members 
of  the  artist's  family,  are  so  fine  that  it  is 
to  be  regretted  that  more  of  these  enamels 
cannot  be  located.  Mr.  Birch  made  several 
miniatures  in  enamel  of  Mr.  Jaudenes,  Span 
ish  Minister  to  the  United  States,  one  of 
which  was  surrounded  with  diamonds  and 
made  into  a  locket  for  Mrs.  Jaudenes.  These 
miniatures  of  course  left  the  country  with  the 
Jaudenes.*  One  of  the  most  charming  ex 
amples  of  Mr.  Birch's  work  is  a  miniature  of 
his  daughter  Priscilla,  who  afterwards  married 
Mr.  Barnes.  In  this  portrait  the  artist  has, 
with  great  skill  and  delicacy  of  treatment,  re 
produced  a  lace  veil  that  is  thrown  over  the 
head  and  falls  down  upon  the  forehead  almost 


*  Mrs.  Gushing,  the  wife  of  Judge  Gushing,  of  the  Su 
preme  Court,. wrote  from  Philadelphia  in  1795  that  she  and 
her  husband  had  just  dined  with  the  President  and  Mrs. 
Washington,  in  company  with  Don  Jose*  de  Jaudenes,  the 
Spanish  Minister  and  his  Lady,  the  Chevalier  and  Mrs. 
Frere,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Berckel,  and  a  number  of  cabinet 
officers  with  their  wives.  Madame  Frere,  the  Portuguese 
Minister's  wife,  and  Madame  Jaudenes  were,  Mrs.  Gush 
ing  says,  "brilliant  with  diamonds." 
223 


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covering  the  eyes,  and  yet  not  concealing  their 
beauty.  Another  miniature,  of  a  young  girl 
asleep,  is  very  fine  in  its  transparency  of  color 
and  in  the  beauty  of  the  flesh-tints. 

Mrs.  Judge  Gushing,  in  speaking  of  Gilbert 
Stuart's  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  calls  him  "  an 
extraordinary  limner  said  to  exceed  by  far  any 
other  in  America." 

Stuart  soon  became  the  fashion,  in  conse 
quence  of  his  great  ability,  and  the  distin 
guished  patronage  which  came  to  him  through 
the  letters  that  he  brought  to  General  Wash 
ington  and  other  prominent  men.  Although 
an  eccentric  individual,  Stuart  was  possessed 
of  a  vast  fund  of  information  and  was  an 
inimitable  raconteur.  His  studio,  on  Chestnut 
Street  above  Fifth,  soon  became  more  of  a 
salon  than  a  workroom,  as  visitors  flocked  in 
at  all  hours  to  see  the  great  artist  at  work  and 
to  enjoy  his  brilliant  conversation  and  clever 
tales.  This  circumstance,  says  Miss  Jane 
Stuart,  the  artist's  daughter,  led  Mr.  Stuart 
to  remove  to  Germantown,  where  he  estab 
lished  himself  in  an  old  mansion  near  the  Main 
Street,  transforming  the  barn  into  a  studio.* 

*  The  house  in  which  Stuart  lived  was  afterwards  bought 
from  Samuel  Ashmead  by  the  late  Mr.  William  Wynne 
Wister, whose  daughters  still  (1899)  occupy  the  house.  The 
old  barn,  in  the  rear  of  5140  Main  Street,  in  which  Stuart 
painted,was  standing  in  the  summer  of  1898,  and  near  it  the 
famous  apple-tree,  then  in  "  the  sear  and  yellow  leaf,"  from 
which,  said  Mr.  Ashmead,  General  Washington  was  in  the 
habit  of  regaling  himself  when  he  walked  in  the  garden. 
224 


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This  suburban  painting-room  soon  became 
as  popular  as  his  Chestnut  Street  studio,  as 
Miss  Stuart  says  that,  "while  the  General  and 
Mrs.  Washington  were  sitting  for  their  por 
traits,  it  was  the  resort  of  many  of  the  most 
distinguished  and  interesting  persons  of  the 
day.  Nellie  Custis,  Mrs.  Law,  and  Miss  Har 
riet  Chew  (afterwards  Mrs.  Carroll),  gene 
rally  accompanied  Mrs.  Washington.  General 
Knox,  General  Henry  Lee,  and  others  came 
with  the  President.  The  British  Minister  and 
his  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Listen,  Louis  Philippe 
D'Orleans,  Counsellor  Dunn  (an  Irish  bar 
rister),  and  the  Viscount  de  Noailles  were 
particularly  fond  of  Stuart's  society  and  were 
daily  visitors." 

General  Washington  was  very  fond  of  the 
daughters  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Benjamin  Chew, 
and  is  said  to  have  gallantly  requested  Miss 
Harriet  to  accompany  him  to  the  sittings, 
as  her  conversation  would  give  his  face  its 
most  agreeable  expression.  With  Miss  Har 
riet  Chew  often  came  her  sisters,  Mrs.  Philip 
Nicklin,  Juliana  Chew,  and  Mrs.  John  Eager 
Howard, — Peggy  Chew,— who  was  living  in 
Philadelphia  in  1796,  while  General  Howard 
was  attending  the  sessions  of  Congress  as 
Senator  from  Maryland.  Another  of  the  Chew 
sisters,  who  was  married  about  this  time  to 
Mr.  Henry  Philips,  was  Sophia  Chew.  Minia 
tures  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Philips  were  later 
painted  by  Richard  Cosway. 

Miss  Stuart  states  that  the  celebrated  Athe- 
15  225 


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portrait  of  General  Washington  was 
painted  in  the  Germantown  studio,  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  reason  to  doubt  this  state 
ment,  as  this  studio  was  within  pleasant  driv 
ing  distance  of  the  President's  Philadelphia 
residence.  This  beautiful  portrait,  which  was 
painted  for  Mrs.  Washington  at  her  request, 
was  never  finished,  nor  was  her  own  portrait, 
which  was  intended  to  accompany  it.  To  this 
fact  may  be  attributed  some  of  the  delicacy 
and  charm  of  these  portraits,  for  Stuart  was 
too  true  an  artist  to  risk  the  chance  of  mar 
ring  by  an  additional  stroke  what  was  already 
beautiful  and  expressive. 

The  Washington  portrait  Stuart  kept  in  his 
Germantown  studio,  calling  it  his  hundred 
dollar  bill,  as  he  took  many  orders  for  replicas 
from  it,  and  delaying  the  delivery  of  it  to  its 
owner  until  the  General's  patience  was  ex 
hausted.  One  writer  says  that  Mrs.  Washing 
ton  became  quite  angry  with  the  artist  for  not 
allowing  her  to  have  her  husband's  portrait, 
and  did  not  hesitate  to  express  herself  upon 
the  subject. 

Stuart  painted  charming  portraits  of  Miss 
Harriet  Chew,  who  afterwards  married  Charles 
Carroll,  the  son  of  Charles  Carroll,  the  Signer, 
of  the  Marchioness  d'Yrujo,  of  Sarah  Shippen, 
and  of  many  other  Philadelphia  beauties. 

No    artist    who    came    to   Philadelphia   re 

ceived  more  generous  appreciation  and  patron 

age  than  Thomas    Sully.      Here  he  made  his 

home  and  brought  up  his  family  of  children, 

226 


Mrs.  Charles  Irenee  du  Pont 
By  Thomas  Sully 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

some  of  whom  inherited  a  share  of  their 
father's  artistic  ability.  Among  Mr.  Sully's 
best  Philadelphia  portraits  are  those  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Nicholas  Biddle,  Mrs.  Richard  Wor- 
sam  Meade,  and  Fanny  Kemble,  afterwards 
Mrs.  Pierce  Butler. 

Mr.  Sully  painted  a  very  attractive  portrait 
of  Mrs.  Charles  Irenee  du  Pont  soon  after  her 
marriage.  Mrs.  du  Pont  was  a  daughter  of 
Senator  Van  Dyke,  of  New  Castle,  Delaware. 
The  marriage  of  Miss  Dorcas  Montgomery 
Van  Dyke  and  Mr.  Charles  Irene*e  du  Pont* 
was  solemnized  at  her  father's  house  in  New 
Castle,  in  October,  1824,  while  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette  was  in  America.  This  nobleman, 
being  an  old  friend  of  the  groom's  father,  Mr. 
Victor  du  Pont,  was  present  at  the  wedding, 
which  was  one  of  the  most  important  social 
events  that  the  old  town  of  New  Castle  had 
ever  witnessed.  "  Upon  this  occasion,"  says 
one  who  described  the  wedding,  "  Senator 
Van  Dyke  allowed  the  doors  and  windows 
to  stand  open  so  that  the  crowd  about  the 
mansion  could  see  General  Lafayette  and  the 
ceremony.  The  chair  occupied  by  Lafayette 
was  slightly  elevated  over  all  the  others  in 
the  room  and  festooned  with  flowers.  After 
the  ceremony  Lafayette,  of  course,  kissed  the 
Bride." 


*  Mrs.  du  Pont  died  in  1858,  and  Mr.  du  Pont  married 
Miss  Ann  Ridgely,  a  daughter  of  Henry  M.  Ridgely,,o£ 
Dover,  Delaware. 

227 


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Malbone  was  in  Philadelphia  for  a  short 
time,  and  here  painted  miniatures  of  Colonel 
and  Mrs.  Clement  Biddle,  of  their  son-in-law, 
General  Thomas  Cadwalader,  and  of  the  beau 
tiful  Gratz  sisters,  Rebecca  and  Rachel.  The 
greater  part  of  Malbone's  work  was  done  in 
Newport  and  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 
One  of  the  most  charming  of  his  miniatures  is 
that  of  Isabel  Barren,  of  Charleston,  painted 
in  1806.  A  little  story  has  come  down  with 
the  picture,  which  says  that  the  artist  fell  in 
love  with  his  beautiful  sitter,  and  that  when 
this  circumstance  transpired  her  father  put  a 
stop  to  all  further  painting.  This  tradition 
seems  to  be  carried  out  by  the  miniature,  as 
some  of  the  details  are  not  finished,  the  deli 
cate  lace  around  the  lovely  throat  being  in 
some  places  merely  outlined,  while  in  others 
it  is  filled  in  with  great  care.  Another  interest 
ing  miniature  of  a  South  Carolina  girl  is  that 
of  Mrs.  Langdon  Cheves,  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Joseph  Dulles  and  his  wife,  Sophia  Heatley, 
of  Charleston.  Mrs.  Cheves  spent  much  of 
her  married  life  in  the  North,  as  Judge  Cheves 
was  a  prominent  figure  in  political  life,  and 
was  obliged  to  be  much  of  the  time  in  Wash 
ington  and  in  Philadelphia.  Judge  Cheves  was 
a  colleague  of  Mr.  Calhoun  in  Congress  during 
the  War  of  1812,  and  was  for  a  time  Speaker 
of  the  House  of  Representatives.  His  busi 
ness  and  administrative  abilities  were  highly 
thought  of,  and  when  the  affairs  of  the  Bank 
of  the  United  States  were  involved  in  serious 
228 


Mrs.  Langdon  Cheves 
By  Edward  Greene  Malbone 


Isabel  Barren 
By  Edward  Greene  Malbone 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

difficulties,  he  was  urged  to  remove  to  Phila 
delphia  and  accept  the  presidency  of  the  bank, 
which  he  did.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cheves  spent  their  summers  in  Lan 
caster,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  owned  a 
handsome  country-seat  near  that  of  the  Hon 
orable  James  Buchanan,  afterwards  President 
of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Buchanan,  who 
entertained  a  warm  admiration  for  the  beauty 
and  grace  of  Mrs.  Cheves,  was  fond  of  rela 
ting  a  pleasant  story  of  her  as  she  appeared  at 
her  own  dinner-table.  Mrs.  Cheves,  charm 
ingly  attired,  was  one  day  entertaining  some 
distinguished  guests,  when  the  waiter,  in 
passing  around  the  soup-tureen,  after  the 
good  old  style  before  dinners  a  la  Russe  were 
in  vogue,  awkwardly  overturned  the  contents 
upon  the  delicate  brocade  gown  of  the  hostess. 
Mr.  Buchanan  said  that  not  only  did  Mrs. 
Cheves  utter  no  expression  of  surprise  or 
anger,  but  without  a  "word  upon  the  subject 
she  continued  the  conversation  in  which  she 
was  engaged.  This  lovely  lady  was  not  only 
sweet-tempered  and  self-controlled,  but  highly 
cultivated  and  possessed  of  some  artistic  abil 
ity.  A  miniature  of  Colonel  William  Rhett, 
copied  by  her  from  the  original  which  was 
painted  by  a  distinguished  artist,  is  still  in 
possession,  of  the  family.*  While  in  Philadel- 


*  Colonel  William  Rhett  was,  in  1702,  appointed  by  Gov 
ernor  Nathaniel  Johnson  commander  of  the  land  and  naval 
forces  of  Carolina.    Colonel  Rhett,  says  his  biographer, 
229 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

phia  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Langdon  Cheves  lived  on 
Locust  Street,  at  the  corner  of  Washington 
Square,  in  a  house  which  has  been  owned  for 
many  years  by  Dr.  Horace  Howard  Furness, 
the  great  Shakespearian  scholar  and  commen 
tator. 

Among  miniatures  painted  by  Malbone  much 
earlier  than  that  of  Mrs.  Langdon  Cheves, 
are  those  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  Dana,  of 
Boston,  a  handsome  couple,  in  the  becoming 
and  picturesque  costume  of  the  time.  Looking 


"  proved  himself  by  his  dauntless  courage,  regulated  by 
perfect  coolness,  worthy  of  the  post.  In  due  time  the  tall 
masts  of  a  French  frigate,  in  company  with  three  ships  and 
a  galley,  appeared  above  the  low,  white  sand  ridge  of  Morris 
Island.  A  courier  "was  immediately  sent  to  Col.  Johnson, 
who  the  next  day,  very  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  in 
habitants,  rode  into  town.  He  forthwith  called  a  council 
of  war,  the  minutes  of  which  read  like  some  old  English 
burgher's  meeting,  during  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  for  it  was 
quickly  agreed  to  put  some  great  guns  on  board  of  such 
ships  as  were  in  the  harbor,  and  employ  the  sailors  in  their 
own  way  in  defense  of  the  town.  Of  this  fleet  Col.  Rhett, 
who  although  commanding  the  militia  of  the  colony,  seems 
to  have  been  quite  as  good  a  sailor  as  soldier,  was  made 
4  vice-admiral.'  Col.  Rhett  whose  gallantry  contributed  so 
materially  to  the  defeat  of  the  Franco-Spanish  fleet,  lived 
long  after  the  death  of  Col.  Johnson.  The  risk  of  no  enter 
prise  seemed  too  great  for  his  dauntless  spirit.  Among  the 
many  services  which  he  rendered  the  colony  was  one  which 
eclipsed  all  others,  for  desperate  bravery,  his  capture  of 
Steve  Bonnes,  the  famous  pirate.  The  worth  of  Col.  Rhett 
at  length  attracted  the  attention  of  the  home  government, 
and  he  was  appointed  Governor  of  the  Bahama  Islands, 
but  he  died  before  the  commission  reached  him." 
230 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

at  Mr.  Dana's  refined  face,  with  its  delicate 
and  finely-modelled  features,  we  can  under 
stand  Mrs.  John  Adams's  warm  admiration 
of  the  beauty  of  members  of  the  Dana  family 
whom  she  met  abroad.  Whether  or  not  she 
was  nearly  related  to  Richard  Dana,  the  Miss 
Dana  whom  Mrs.  Adams  saw  in  London 
was  a  niece  of  Francis  Dana,  United  States 
Minister  to  Russia.  This  young  lady,  whom 
Mrs.  Adams  likened  to  "Calypso  among  her 
nymphs,  delicate  and  modest,"  had,  she 
added,  "the  best  title  of  any  Englishwoman 
I  have  seen  to  the  rank  of  a  divinity.  I  would 
not  have  it  forgotten  that  her  father  is  an 
American,  and,  as  he  was  remarkably  hand 
some,  no  doubt  she  owes  a  large  share  of  her 
beauty  to  him." 

Robert  Field,  an  English  miniature  painter, 
was  in  America  in  1795  and  1796,  and  like  all 
other  artists  who  came  to  the  Republic, 
painted  a  miniature  of  General  Washington. 
Mr.  Twining  speaks  of  dining  with  Mr.  Field 
at  the  St.  George's  Society,  in  Philadelphia, 
and  of  giving  him  a  partial  promise  to  sit  to 
him  for  his  miniature.  To  Mr.  Field  may  be 
attributed  some  of  the  unsigned  miniatures 
to  be  found  in  Philadelphia  and  other  cities, 
although  some  of  them  were  doubtless  painted 
by  another  English  miniature  painter  by  the 
name  of  Browne,  whose  name  has  naturally 
been  confused  with  that  of  the  well-known 
American  artist,  John  Henry  Brown.  The 
English  artist,  Browne,  painted  very  remark- 
231 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

able  miniatures  of  Mrs.  Willing  Francis  and 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  C.  Montgomery. 

Another  foreign  artist,  who  came  to  Phila 
delphia  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  century, 
was  Francis  Martin  Drexel,  whose  fame  as 
a  painter  has  been  entirely  overshadowed  by 
his  great  success  as  an  American  banker.  This 
young  man,  the  son  of  an  officer  in  the  Aus 
trian  army,  studied  in  Rome  before  he  came 
to  try  his  fortune  in  the  New  World.  He 
brought  letters  to  Joseph  Bonaparte,  then 
living  at  Bordentown,  New  Jersey,  who  proved 
to  be  a  kind  friend  to  the  artist.  Mr.  Drexel 
seems  to  have  possessed  considerable  ability 
as  an  artist  and  painted  in  various  lines ;  like 
most  impecunious  young  painters,  accepting 
whatever  orders  came  to  him.  An  altar-piece 
was  executed  by  him  for  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  of  Saint  Peter's,  in  Reading,  Pennsyl 
vania.  This  painting  represented  the  Cruci 
fixion  and  was  very  beautiful.  Mr.  Ferdi 
nand  J.  Dreer,  a  distinguished  Philadelphia 
antiquarian,  distinctly  recalls  a  famous  sign 
painted  by  young  Drexel  for  a  lottery  estab 
lishment,  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Chest 
nut  Streets,  where  a  fair  lady,  representing 
Columbia,  presided  over  a  cornucopia  from 
which  fell  doubloons  galore.  Mr.  Dreer  says 
that  this  sign  was  painted  upon  canvas,  and 
as  he  recalls  it,  was  beautiful  and  artistic. 

Among  portraits  painted  by  Mr.  Drexel,  still 
to  be  seen  in  Philadelphia,  are  those  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  George  Washington  Morris,  a  group 
232 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

portrait  of  Gilbert  Livingston  Morris  and 
Edward  Berean  Morris,*  and  miniatures  of 
the  artist  and  his  wife,  which  are  in  possession 
of  their  daughter,  Mrs.  John  G.  Watmough. 

Mr.  Pratt,  who  knew  Mr.  Drexel  well,  says 
that  his  greatest  success  in  painting  was  made 
in  Bolivia,  South  America,  where  he  went 
about  1825.  Here  he  painted  portraits  of 
General  Bolivar  and  other  leading  men  in  the 
new  Republic.  The  money  acquired  in  this 
way  enabled  Mr.  Drexel,  when  he  returned 
to  Philadelphia,  to  enter  into  the  banking  oper 
ations  which,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years, 
gained  for  him  a  world-wide  reputation. f  . 

From  the  dignified  and  imposing  portraits 
that  have  come  down  to  us,  we  have  been  led 
to  think  of  our  grandmothers  as  tall  and  stately 
dames,  moulded  upon  a  larger  pattern  than 
the  women  of  to-day.  It  is  only  from  occa 
sional  descriptions  in  old  letters,  and  from  the 
small  size  of  some  of  the  garments  worn  by 
these  ladies  of  the  olden  time  which  have 
been  preserved  in  certain  families,  that  we 


*  These  family  portraits  are  owned  by  Mr.  Harrison  S. 
Morris,  of  Philadelphia. 

f  Mr.  Dundas  T.  Pratt  says  that  Mr.  Drexel  began  to 
paint  portraits  of  Bolivar  in  Philadelphia  and  painted  them 
during  the  long  voyage.  He  sold  them  in  Bolivia  at  a 
doubloon  apiece.  On  his  return,  he  made  his  money  on 
Pennsylvania  currency  when  the  banks  of  Pennsylvania 
stopped  payment.  He  afterwards  went  to  Germany  and 
established  the  letter-of-credit  system.  Mr.  Drexel  had  his 
office  on  Sixth  Street,  back  of  the  Public  Ledger  Building. 
233 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

have  had  reason  to  form  a  different  opinion. 
It  "was  a  rude  awakening  to  many  of  us  to 
learn  upon  good  authority  that  Lady  Wash 
ington  was  of  exceedingly  small  stature,  and 
inclined  to  embonpoint  in  middle  life,  while  from 
a  letter  "written  by  a  Philadelphia  beau  in 
Colonial  days,  it  plainly  appears  that  the 
belles  of  that  time  were  not  all  "  daughters  of 
the  gods,  divinely  tall."  Mr.  James  Willing 
gave  the  following  very  ungallant  reason  for 
not  wishing  to  go  to  the  Philadelphia  Dancing 
Assembly:  "Among  the  principal  managers," 
says  the  old  chronicle,  "are  Billy  Allen  and 
Jemmy  Willing.  The  Subscribers  may  send 
a  Ticket  to  any  Young  Lady  for  the  Evening  ; 
Notwithstanding  which  Privilege  J.  Willing 
tells  me  that  He  is  almost  tired  of  it  because 
the  Girls  are  so  little." 

If  these  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  dames 
were  not  all  "divinely  tall,"  they  certainly 
appear  "  divinely  fair,"  and  as  their  descend 
ants  of  to-day  look  into  the  charming  faces 
that  have  come  down  to  them  upon  the  can 
vases  of  Stuart,  Peale,  and  Sully,  or  upon  the 
ivories  of  Trott,  Eraser,  and  Malbone,  they 
may  well  exclaim  with  the  New  England  poet 
who  lost  his  heart  to  his  own  great-grand 
mother, — 

"  What  if  a  hundred  years  ago 
Those  close-shut  lips  had  answered  '  No  '  ?" 


234 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 


CHAPTER    VII.      MRS.  RUSH  AND  HER 
SALON 

IT  was  said  of  the  late  Madame  Aubernon 
de  Neurville  that  to  her  Parisian  salon, 
"  the  last  salon  where  there  was  real 
talk,"  there  came  "  everyone  that  we  read  or 
read  of  with  interest."  To  the  salon  of  Mrs. 
James  Rush,  of  Philadelphia,  the  same  epi 
grammatic  description  may  be  applied  with 
equal  pertinency,  the  "  Open,  sesame!"  to  her 
drawing-room  being  talent,  intellectual  ability, 
and  the  power  to  charm  and  entertain,  rather 
than  great  wealth  or  social  position,  although 
Mrs.  Rush  by  no  means  undervalued  these 
advantages.  Whatever  mistakes  may  have 
been  made  by  her,  and  these  were  doubtless 
exaggerated,  all  honor  is  due  to  Mrs.  Rush  for 
having  been  one  of  the  first  women  in  Amer 
ica  to  establish  a  social  status  in  her  home 
based  upon  higher  standards,  at  a  time  when 
distinctions  of  a  very  artificial  and  absurd 
nature  still  prevailed  in  the  society  of  the 
Quaker  City. 

No  woman  had  been  so  distinctly  a  leader 
in  the  social  life  of  Philadelphia  since  the  days 
of  Mrs.  William  Bingham,  and  it  may  be  said 
with  truth  that  the  influence  exerted  by  Mrs. 
Rush  was  far  more  stimulating  and  elevating 
than  that  of  Mrs.  Bingham,  as  it  was  more 
intellectual.  Luxury  and  the  arts  of  living 
235 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

had  made  great  strides  in  the  years  that  had 
intervened  since  the  Binghams  entertained  in 
their  new  mansion  on  Third  Street.  Although 
Colonel  Maxwell,  who  came  to  this  city  in 
1840,  described  it  as  having  about  it  "a  gen 
eral  sombreness  increased  by  the  quantities  of 
Quakeresses  and  weeping  willows  you  meet 
at  every  turn,"  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Philadelphia  of  that  day,  as  at  an  earlier 
time,  was  the  centre  of  much  genuine  old-fash 
ioned  hospitality  and  of  considerable  gayety. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  fairy 
godmothers  gathered  about  the  cradle  of  little 
Phoebe  Ann  Ridgway  and  conferred  upon  the 
Quaker  girl  so  strong  a  desire  and  such  distinct 
ability  to  lead  and  shine  in  the  world  of  let 
ters  and  of  society.  Although  born  of  Quaker 
parents,  Miss  Ridgway,  afterwards  Mrs.  James 
Rush,  was  not  reared  in  the  severe  simplicity 
of  the  Quaker  life  of  old  Philadelphia,  as  much 
of  her  education  was  gained  abroad.  Mr. 
Jacob  Ridgway,  one  of  the  shrewdest  of  old- 
time  merchants,  was  engaged  in  an  extensive 
shipping  business  as  a  partner  in  the  firm  of 
Smith  &  Ridgway.  During  the  war  between 
England  and  France,  it  being  necessary  for 
one  of  the  partners  of  the  firm  of  Smith  & 
Ridgway  to  live  abroad  in  order  to  protect  the 
interest  of  the  mercantile  house,  Mr.  Ridgway 
removed  to  London  with  his  family.  He  after 
wards  resided  in  Antwerp,  where  he  occupied 
the  position  of  United  States  consul  and  be 
came  a  partner  in  an  Antwerp  house. 
236 


Susan  and  Phoebe  Ann  Ridgway 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

From  some  lines  written  in  the  diary  of  Dr. 
James  Rush,  it  appears  that  Mrs.  Rush  was 
born  abroad.  This  entry  of  1842  seems  as  if  it 
might  have  been  made  to  remind  the  writer 
of  his  wife's  birthday  : 

"'P.  A.  R.'  born  in  London  at  No.  46  Bish- 
opgate  St.,  Tuesday,  December  3,  1799,  at  half- 
past  four  o'clock  P.M." 

In  a  family  letter  written  the  next  year,  little 
Phoebe  Ann  Ridgway  is  spoken  of  as  "  a  lively 
baby,"  which  proves  that  her  characteristic 
energy  early  impressed  itself  upon  her  rela 
tives.  An  elder  sister,  Susan  or  Susannah 
Ridgway,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  while 
Mrs.  Rush's  brother,  John  Jacob  Ridgway, 
was  born  in  Paris. 

A  pleasing  picture  of  the  little  sisters,  Susan 
and  Phoebe  Ann  Ridgway,  was  painted  while 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ridgway  were  living  in  Ant 
werp.  These  two  girlish  figures  in  white 
muslin  gowns  are  charming  in  their  grace  and 
simplicity.  Phoebe's  tiny  red  shoes  peep  out 
from  beneath  her  skirt,  and  as  Susan  was  not 
equipped  with  the  much-coveted  red  shoes, 
she  was  allowed  to  carry  a  basket  of  gay 
flowers,  while  Phoebe's  basket  was  empty, 
from  which  it  appears  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ridg 
way  were  as  fair  and  impartial  in  meting  out 
justice  to  their  offspring  as  the  fathers  and 
mothers  of  Miss  Edgeworth's  "  Moral  Tales." 

The  fact  that  Phoebe  Ann  Ridgway's  early 
education  and  associations  were  foreign,  seems 
to  have  been  overlooked  by  many  persons  who 
237 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

misunderstood  and  misjudged  her  in  her  own 
city,  a  Continental  education  not  being  as  usual 
in  the  early  years  of  the  century  as  it  is  to 
day.  Mrs.  Rush  early  developed  a  taste  for 
society,  for  the  gayer  side  of  life,  for  beauty, 
music,  light,  and  color,  as  well  as  a  decided 
love  of  letters.  In  her  enjoyment  of  brilliant 
and  gorgeous  surroundings,  she  seemed  to 
have  revived  some  remote  and  forgotten  Ori 
ental  strain  in  her  blood,  while  in  her  intelli 
gence,  her  keen  perceptions,  and  her  frankness 
she  was  all  Anglo-Saxon. 

Dr.  James  Rush  has  sometimes  been  spoken 
of  as  a  recluse  and  a  morose  and  gloomy  man. 
This  may  have  been  the  case  after  the  death 
of  his  wife  ;  but  from  all  that  can  be  gathered 
from  those  who  knew  the  Rushes  in  their 
own  home,  theirs  was  a  happy  married  life. 
Although  widely  different  in  character  and 
tastes,  they  possessed  certain  meeting  grounds 
in  their  love  of  study  and  improvement  and 
in  their  delight  in  the  society  of  intellectual 
men.  Dr.  Rush  was  a  son  of  the  more  distin 
guished  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  and  a  brother  of 
the  Honorable  Richard  Rush,  who  represented 
his  country  in  England  and  France.  Having 
enjoyed  exceptional  educational  advantages  at 
home  and  abroad,  Dr.  Rush  was  all  his  life  a 
student  and  a  lover  and  collector  of  books  and 
of  information  upon  a  great  variety  of  sub 
jects.  In  addition  to  being  engaged  in  the 
active  practice  of  his  profession,  he  made  a 
particular  study  of  the  voice  and  the  vocal 

238 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

organs,  and  wrote  extensively  upon  these 
subjects.  He  did  not,  however,  confine  his 
studies  to  this  one  branch  of  learning,  as  is 
proved  by  his  note-books  and  diaries.  The 
note-books,  especially  those  kept  while  travel 
ling  abroad,  afford  an  interesting  example  of 
the  power  for  the  accretion  of  a  variety  of  facts 
possessed  by  one  individual.  These  books 
abound  in  details  regarding  life,  places,  and 
persons  in  Spain,  Holland,  Denmark,  and 
Russia,  the  capital  of  which  latter  country 
Dr.  Rush  visited  during  the  stirring  days  that 
followed  the  assassination  of  the  Emperor 
Paul  and  the  accession  of  his  son  Alexander. 

Although  content  to  spend  his  leisure  hours 
among  his  books,  Dr.  Rush  heartily  encour 
aged  his  wife  in  her  desire  to  make  their  home 
a  social  as  well  as  an  intellectual  centre. 
When  learned  men  from  abroad  sought  his 
society  in  his  study,  he  was  proud  to  feel 
that  he  could  offer  them  the  attractions  of  his 
wife's  drawing-room,  where  they  could  not 
fail  to  be  delighted  with  the  conversation  of 
Mrs.  Rush,  who  was  cultivated,  brilliant,  and 
original. 

Mrs.  Rush  was  as  fond  of  books  as  her 
husband,  and  was  always  engaged  in  some 
especial  course  of  study ;  but  books  alone  did 
not  satisfy  her,  she  craved  the  stimulus  of  in 
tellectual  companionship.  Her  mind  was  one 
of  unusual  range  and  grasp,  masculine  rather 
than  feminine  in  its  characteristics.  For  this 
reason,  perhaps,  Mrs.  Rush  preferred  the  so- 

239 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

ciety  of  intellectual  men  to  that  of  her  own 
sex.  She  did  not  engage  in  the  favorite  pur 
suits  of  the  lady  of  forty  years  ago — shopping, 
visiting,  and  the  like.  Much  of  her  time  was 
spent  in  study,  and  the  books  that  she  read 
were  of  a  kind  that  men  were  more  ready  to 
discuss  with  her  than  women.  Judge  Carle- 
ton,  who  had  entered  into  the  most  culti 
vated  society  in  England  and  America,  said 
that  Mrs.  Rush  was  the  most  intellectual 
woman  whom  he  had  met  in  this  country, 
adding  that  she  possessed  an  eminently  philo 
sophical  mind. 

In  the  Old  World,  which  she  visited,  it  was 
the  fashion  for  certain  feminine  beaux  esprits  to 
gather  about  them  a  circle  of  able  and  distin 
guished  men.  Madame  de  Stael  charmed  by 
the  powers  of  her  conversation  and  the  won 
ders  of  her  mind  all  the  men  who  approached 
her,  excepting  only  the  great  Napoleon,  while 
certain  grande  dames  in  England,  as  Lady  Ash- 
burton  and  Lady  Holland,  drew  around  them 
a  circle  of  the  wits  and  intellectual  giants 
of  their  time.  Mrs.  Rush's  idea  of  holding  a 
salon,  of  being  at  home  to  visitors  at  certain 
times  and  not  being  subject  to  incursions  from 
callers  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  was  one  of  her 
foreign  notions  that  made  old  Philadelphians 
wonder  and  criticize.  The  custom  of  being 
"  at  home  "  upon  certain  days  to  callers  was 
then  unusual  in  America,  except  in  official 
circles,  and  Madam  Rush's  attempt  to  recon 
struct  society,  according  to  methods  that  had 

240 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

been  adopted  by  an  older  civilization,  was  duly 
resented.  She  frankly  defended  her  position 
by  saying,  "You  ladies  waste  a  great  deal  of 
time  in  paying  and  receiving  calls.  I  neither 
visit  or  receive  visits  except  on  my  days." 

Despite  the  unpopularity  of  some  of  her 
foreign<  fashions,  Mrs.  Rush's  balls  and  matintes 
were  far  too  elegant  and  delightful  to  be  ig 
nored,  and  men  and  women  gladly  accepted 
her  invitations  and  flocked  to  her  entertain 
ments,  even  if  she  declined  to  spend  her  days 
in  the  drawing-room  receiving  a  stream  of 
visitors,  and  preferred  her  book  or  piano  to  a 
dish  of  gossip  at  high  noon.  The  hours  of 
this  busy  woman's  day  were  all  appropriated 
to  study,  to  the  practice  of  music,  to  reading, 
and  to  a  daily  constitutional  up  and  down 
Chestnut  Street,  from  her  house  to  the  Dela 
ware,  which  she  never  omitted.  This  prome 
nade  was  a  sociable  affair,  as  Mrs.  Rush  was 
always  attended  by  two  or  three  gentlemen 
and  met  many  acquaintances  who  joined  her. 

Men  and  women,  still  in  the  prime  of  life, 
distinctly  recall  the  rubicund  face  and  portly 
form  of  Mrs.  Rush  as  she  appeared  on  the 
street  while  taking  her  vigorous  constitutional. 
One  person  remembers  her  in  a  crimson  silk 
gown,  which  may  have  served  to  throw  her 
far  too  brilliant  complexion  into  the  shade, 
while  still  another  recalls  the  stout  figure  of 
the  lady  of  fashion,  enveloped  in  a  green  velvet 
"  mantilla,"  as  she  stood  upon  the  sidewalk 
enjoying  raw  oysters,  in  a  truly  democratic 

16  241 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

fashion,  at  Tatem's  famous  oyster-stand  on 
Twelfth  Street  near  Spruce. 

Whether  introduced  as  a  fashion  by  Mrs. 
Rush,  or  simply  by  good  common  sense, 
walking  was  for  some  years  a  favorite  amuse 
ment  in  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Samuel  Breck 
speaks  of  being  elected  to  a  famous  walking- 
club  in  1837,  in  which  some  of  his  associate 
members  were  George  Rundle,  Thomas  H. 
White,  Jacob  R.  Smith,  John  R.  Coates,  and 
Thomas  F.,  Francis  R.,  and  Fishbourn  Whar- 
ton.  Mr.  Breck  confesses  that  some  of  these 
"  old  codgers,  to  use  the  French  phrase,  se 
promenent  en  voiture"  insisting  upon  having 
their  carriages  for  the  return  trip.  This  was 
in  later  and  more  degenerate  days,  when  a 
short  walk  and  a  long  dinner  had  come  to 
be  the  only  feats  required  of  the  members  of 
this  club.  Mr.  Thomas  Fishbourn  Wharton 
speaks  of  earlier  and  more  vigorous  days  of 
the  walking-club,  when  he  and  Mr.  Thomas 
H.  White  walked  to  Sloan's  Mineral  Spring, 
three  miles  from  Camden,  New  Jersey.  Nor 
does  he  make  any  mention  of  a  dinner  as  the 
reward  of  their  labors. 

Among  Mrs.  Rush's  cards  are  quite  a  num 
ber  upon  which  is  written  an  informal  engage 
ment  to  take  a  walk.  Some  of  these  are  in 
French,  as  when  "  Mr.  Saul  de  la  Nouvelle 
Orleans  "  wrote  upon  his  card  a  few  lines  in 
that  language  to  learn  whether  their  prome 
nade  should  be  at  half-past  two  or  five  o'clock; 
other  engagements  are  in  Italian  or  Spanish, 

242 


Thomas  Fishbourn  Wharton 
By  Vander  Lyn 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

as  Mrs.  Rush,  among  other  attainments,  was 
the  mistress  of  several  languages.  This  ac 
complishment  drew  many  strangers  to  the 
Rush  mansion,  where  foreign  officials  and 
visitors  from  abroad,  and  from  the  southern 
portions  of  our  own  continent,  found  a  warm 
welcome  and  a  hostess  who  was  ready  to  con 
verse  with  them  in  their  own  tongues.  Joseph 
Bonaparte,  who  established  himself  in  or  near 
Philadelphia  soon  after  his  arrival  in  America, 
was  a  guest  of  Madam  Rush.  Among  cards 
left  at  her  house,  179  Chestnut  Street,  opposite 
the  State  House,  are  some  bearing  the  auto 
graph  "  Le  Cte.  de  Survilliers,"  which  is  the 
name  by  which  the  ex-King  of  Spain,  was 
known  in  Philadelphia  life.  He  is  described 
by  those  who  knew  him  as  a  courteous  and 
charming  man,  although  Mr.  Samuel  Breck, 
who  met  the  Count  on  Third  Street,  said  that 
his  appearance  was  that  of  a  plain  country 
gentleman,  and  that  he  could  not  help  won 
dering  why  one  of  the  nine  servants  whom 
he  brought  with  him  from  England  had  not 
brushed  his  hat,  which  was  decidedly  shabby. 
The  Comte  de  Survilliers  spent  a  number 
of  years  near  Philadelphia.  He  lived  first 
at  Lansdowne,  John  Penn's  country-seat,* 

*  Mr.  Breck  says,  under  the  date  April  20,  1816,  "Yes 
terday,  as  we  were  going  to  Belmont,  my  neighbor,  Farmer 
Bones,  informed  me  that  the  ex-king  of  Spain,  Joseph 
Bonaparte,  had  hired  Lansdowne  House  for  one  year — that 
he  had  been  in  his  company  in  the  morning,  and  found 
him  a  very  plain,  agreeable  man." 
243 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  afterwards  at  Point  Breeze,  near  Borden- 
town,  spending  his  winters  in  Philadelphia. 
A  house  on  Ninth  Street  above  Spruce  still 
bears  traces  of  the  residence  of  the  exiled 
King  in  the  line  of  papering  and  decorations, 
and  the  Countess  de  Cuelebroeck,  then  Miss 
Willing,  remembers  a  dinner  given  by  the 
Comte  de  Survilliers  at  a  house  at  the  corner 
of  Twelfth  and  Market  Streets,  which  he 
rented  from  Stephen  Girard.*  It  was  at  Point 
Breeze  that  the  Comte  de  Survilliers  passed  so 
many  years,  during  which  his  exile  was  some 
times  shared  by  his  daughters,  Zenaide  and 
Charlotte,  by  young  Murat,  his  nephew,  and 
always  by  his  faithful  attendant  and  friend, 
Louis  Maillard.  Here  Joseph  Bonaparte  lived 
the  life  of  a  country  gentleman,  surrounded 
by  such  congenial  friends  as  the  Hopkinsons, 
Du  Barrys,  and  Tesseires,  while  from  Phila 
delphia  and  elsewhere  he  was  visited  by  Mr. 
Charles  J.  Ingersoll,  Dr.  Nathaniel  Chapman, 
General  Cadwalader,  Stephen  Girard,  Richard 
Stockton,  United  States  Senator,  and  by  such 
old  soldiers  of  the  Empire  as  Generals  Henry 
and  Charles  Lallemand.  The  Comte  de  Sur 
villiers  was  upon  intimate  terms  with  Dr. 
Monges,  a  French  refugee,  who  came  to  Phil 
adelphia  accredited  by  the  Royal  Academy  of 


*  This  was  a  three-story  brick  building,  with  a  coach 
house  in  the  rear,  and  was  considered  a  complete  estab 
lishment.     At  this  time  Mr.  Girard  lived  on  Water  Street, 
in  a  plain,  old-fashioned  house. 
244 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Madrid  and  other  scientific  institutions  abroad. 
The  Princess  Charlotte  painted  a  portrait  of 
Miss  Cora  Monges,  afterwards  Mrs.  Charles 
Dutilh.*  A  close  friendship  existed  between 
the  family  of  Joseph  Bonaparte  and  the  Hop- 
kinsons.  In  one  of  the  Count's  letters,  written 
from  Point  Breeze  in  1823,  he  speaks  of  the 
approaching  marriage  of  his  daughter  Char 
lotte  to  "  her  cousin,  Louis  Napoleon,  son  of 
Louis  Napoleon  ci-devant  King  of  Holland." 
In  her  letters  to  Mrs.  Joseph  Hopkinson,  writ 
ten  after  her  marriage,  the  Princess  Charlotte 
signed  her  name  "Charlotte  Napoleon." 

While  living  in  Bordentown  and  in  Phila 
delphia,  the  Comte  de  Survilliers  entertained 
his  friends  most  hospitably,  and  evidently  ac 
cepted  some  invitations,  as  Dr.  Rush  recorded 
in  his  diary  entertainments  given  to  the  Count. 
In  March,  1839,  Dr.  Rush  wrote  :  "  This  day 
gave  dinner  party  and  musical  party  in  the 
evening  to  Count  Survilliers,  Joseph  Bona 
parte."  This  was  while  the  Rushes  were 
living  on  Chestnut  Street,  opposite  the  State 
House,  "where  they  gave  a  number  of  small 
musical  soirees  and  receptions,  as  hundreds 
of  notes  of  acceptance  and  regret,  all  care- 

*  Charlotte  Bonaparte  possessed  considerable  artistic 
ability,  and  while  at  Bordentown  with  her  father  executed 
a  number  of  sketches,  paintings,  and  lithographs.  Some 
of  her  work  was  collected  in  a  volume  named  "  Vues  Pit- 
toresques  de  l'Am6rique  dessin€es  par  la  Comtesse  Char 
lotte  Survilliers,  1824."  She  also  exhibited  some  of  her 
paintings  at  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia. 
245 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

fully  labelled  and  preserved  by  Dr.  Rush, 
abundantly  testify.  He  also  made  notes  upon 
special  occasions,  as  when  he  recorded  in  his 
diary  on  November  14,  1838:  "Madam  Cara- 
dori-Allan  spent  this  evening  with  us  in  com 
pany  with  a  party,  about  fifty  friends.  She 

sang  five  songs — Madam  B also  sang.    The 

two  Miss  Fords  played,  as  did  Miss  Margaret 
Sergeant  and  Mr.  Taylor."  The  Miss  Ser 
geant  here  mentioned  was  afterwards  the  wife 
of  General  George  Gordon  Meade,  of  Pennsyl 
vania.  Another  night,  Dr.  Rush  wrote  that  he 
and  his  wife  went  to  the  Musical  Fund  Hall 
to  hear  Madame  Caradori  sing,  after  which 
they  repaired  to  Mrs.  Carroll's,  on  Chestnut 
Street  opposite  the  Mint,  where  they  met 
Madame  Caradori  and  other  friends,  to  the 
number  of  about  twenty,  and  spent  the  re 
mainder  of  the  evening  so  agreeably  that  they 
did  not  return  home  until  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  which  was  rather  gay  for  old  Phila 
delphia.  The  cheerfulness  with  which  Dr. 
Rush  recalls  these  nocturnal  gayeties  sug 
gests  no  thought  of  his  having  been  bored  by 
them. 

Madame  Caradori  Allan  had  already  sung 
for  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  at  a  musicals  in  March, 
1838,  as  appears  from  a  note  written  by  her 
husband,  in  which  he  thanks  Mrs.  Rush  for 
some  flowers  sent  to  his  wife,  and  says  that 
she  is  occupied  in  preparing  for  the  evening. 
Among  Mrs.  Rush's  notes  of  acceptance  to 
this  entertainment  is  a  very  charming  one  from 
246 


u. 


tf 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Mr.  Moncure  Robinson,  in  which  he  says  :  "  I 
take  occasion  to  apprize  yourself  and  Dr.  Rush 
of  a  new  acquaintance  I  have  made  through 
Mrs.  Robinson,  and  who  in  time  she  will  be 
most  happy  to  present  to  you.  Mrs.  R.  and 
this  young  gentleman  are  delighted  with  each 
other  and  are  both  doing  very  well.  ...  I  am 
myself  however  no  very  great  admirer  of  the 
young  gentleman's  voice  which  may  be  a  good 
one,  but  has  at  present  some  harsh  notes  in 
it;  and  will  cheerfully  give  it  up  once  for  the 
Caradori's." 

Mr.  Moncure  Robinson  was  a  delightful  con 
versationalist.  Having  known  many  interest 
ing  persons  abroad  and  in  his  own  country,  he 
possessed  a  vast  fund  of  reminiscence,  from 
which  his  excellent  memory  enabled  him  to 
draw  freely.  Another  charming  raconteur,  who 
was  a  frequent  guest  at  the  Rushes',  was  Mr. 
\Villiam  D.  Lewis.  Mr.  Lewis,  having  repre 
sented  his  country  in  Russia,  was  acquainted 
with  that  most  difficult  language,  and  trans 
lated  a  number  of  Russian  poems  into  English. 

Among  frequent  and  informal  guests  of 
Mrs.  Rush,  while  she  lived  opposite  the  State 
House,  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Jackson, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Dundas,  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Drayton,  from  South  Carolina,  beau 
tiful  Mrs.  John  Craig,  who  afterwards  married 
Edward  Biddle,  the  celebrated  Dr.  Jackson, 
Dr.  William  Keith,  and  Mr.  Du  Ponceau.  The 
French  lawyer,  Peter  Du  Ponceau,  had  served 
under  General  Washington,  and  after  the  War 
247 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  the  Revolution  made  his  home  in  Philadel 
phia,  where  he  was  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
him.  A  pleasant  story  is  told  of  Mrs.  Pierce 
Butler  (Fanny  Kemble)  and  Mr.  Du  Ponceau. 
One  winter  day,  when  he  was  ill  and  feeble, 
Mrs.  Butler  called  to  see  him,  and  finding  that 
for  some  reason, — probably  because  he  real 
ized  that  he  might  not  live  to  see  the  light  of 
another  June,— Mr.  Du  Ponceau  had  expressed 
a  great  desire  for  a  rose.  Roses  in  winter  were 
not  plentiful  then  as  now,  as  only  a  few  per 
sons  had  hot-houses ;  but  Mrs.  Butler,  whose 
kind  heart  was  touched  by  the  old  gentle 
man's  desire,  set  forth  determined  to  gratify 
it.  When  she  returned  and  found  that  Mr.  Du 
Ponceau  had  fallen  asleep,  she  gently  placed 
where  he  could  see  it  as  soon  as  he  opened 
his  eyes,  a  superb  red  rose,  that  bore  in  its 
heart  all  the  beauty  and  fragrance  of  the  June 
that  he  was  not  destined  to  behold. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Sergeant  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nicholas  Biddle  were  upon  intimate 
terms  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rush.  Mr.  Biddle 
seems  to  have  found  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the 
chronicling  and  usually  fault-finding  M.  de 
Bacourt,  who  was  in  America  in  1840,  as  he 
recorded  of  him  :  "  At  the  Athenaeum  I  made 
the  acquaintance  of  M.  Bidole  whose  name 
has  resounded  in  financial  circles  abroad." 
M.  de  Bacourt  described  Mr.  Biddle  as  "  a 
handsome  man  wearing  a  blue  coat  with  brass 
buttons,  yellow  nankeen  pantaloons,  canary 
coloied  gloves,  and  a  glossy  beaver."  It  was 

248 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

he  who  said  that  "the  world  was  ruled  by 
three  boxes — the  ballot-box,  the  cartridge-box, 
and  the  band-box."  Mr.  Biddle's  quips  and 
quirks  and  jeu  d'esprits  were  as  much  prized  in 
his  day  as  were  those  of  Francis  Hopkinson 
and  Judge  Peters,  which  served  to  enliven  the 
gloom  of  a  darker  period  of  our  history.  All 
of  these  men  possessed  great  social  charm 
and  good-humor,  and  despite  their  "  gift  of 
tongues,"  were  ever  more  loved  than  feared. 

Mr.  Samuel  Jaudon,  who  was  associated 
with  Mr.  Biddle,  and  went  to  England  to 
represent  the  interests  of  the  United  States 
Bank,  was  frequently  at  the  Rushes'  while  in 
Philadelphia. 

A  list  of  the  visiting-cards  left  for  Mrs.  Rush 
at  the  house  179  Chestnut  Street,  and  at  the 
new  mansion  further  west  on  the  same  street, 
would  not  only  make  a  fairly  accurate  social 
register  of  the  period,  but  would  also  furnish 
an  almost  perfect  list  of  the  visitors  of  distinc 
tion,  native  and  foreign,  who  came  to  Phila 
delphia  during  certain  years.  All  strangers  of 
note  brought  letters  of  introduction  to  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Rush,  as  their  acquaintance,  formed 
while  abroad  and  during  their  summers  at 
Saratoga,  was  very  large.  One  day  Mr.  Wald- 
burg  Barclay,  of  New  York,  wrote  to  avail 
himself  of  the  permission,  which  Mrs.  Rush 
had  given  him  at  Saratoga,  to  introduce  one 
of  his  English  friends,  the  Vice-Consul,  Mr. 
B ,  "a  most  agreeable  gentlemanlike  per 
son,  who  was  passing  through  Philadelphia, 

249 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

en  route  for  Washington,  whither  he  goes  to 
see  the  republican  king  crowned."  Another 
day  the  Baron  Davrainville  wrote  :  "  I  have 
this  instant  met  with  Lord  Chs  Wellesley  (the 
Duke  of  Ws  2nd  son)  ;  and  Capt.  Lewis  B.  A. 
Will  Mrs.  Rush  permit  me  to  introduce  them 
to  her  this  evening,  and  will  she  be  kind 
enough  to  send  at  Jones  Hotel,  Invitations  for 
the  same." 

Dr.  Rush  seems  to  have  preserved  all  the 
visiting-cards  left  for  Mrs.  Rush  and  himself. 
On  these  bits  of  pasteboard,  yellowed  by  time, 
we  read  the  names  of  all  well-known  Phila- 
delphians,  while  from  other  cities  and  coun 
tries  came  many  persons  who  have  indelibly 
impressed  their  names  upon  the  pages  of 
history,  science,  philosophy,  and  literature. 
Among  these  guests  were  George  Bancroft, 
the  historian ;  Dr.  Channing,  the  great  Uni 
tarian  preacher ;  Dr.  William  H.  Furness, 
a  younger  divine  of  the  same  persuasion ; 
President  Martin  Van  Buren,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fenimore  Cooper,  Charles  Dickens,  and  Miss 
Harriet  Martineau,  whom  one  lady  speaks  of 
as  so  deaf  and  so  decided  in  her  opinions  as 
to  make  the  "  give  and  take  "  of  conversation 
impossible,  while  Mrs.  Pierce  Butler  said  that 
if  her  stay  in  Philadelphia  were  long  enough, 
she  and  Miss  Martineau  might  become  friends. 
General  J.  Harlan,  who  had  served  under  the 
Ameer  of  Cabul,-was  entertained  at  the  Rush 
house,  and  doubtless  had  yards  of  Arabian 
Nights  tales  with  which  to  entertain  the  guests 
250 


Mrs.  John  Jacob  Ridgway 

By  Alexandra  Cabanel 

Page  260 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

of  Mrs.  Rush ;  and  Henry  W.  Longfellow, — 
not  the  beautiful  old  man  who  came  to  Phila 
delphia  in  1876,  but  the  young  poet  with  the 
world  before  him.  These  and  many  other 
persons  of  distinction  were  warmly  welcomed 
by  Mrs.  Rush,  her  quick  appreciation  of  genius 
and  her  readiness  to  honor  it  being  one  of  the 
admirable  sides  of  this  woman's  character. 

Although  never  beautiful,  even  in  her  youth, 
as  is  proved  by  a  miniature  which  was  painted 
soon  after  her  marriage,  Mrs.  Rush  is  de 
scribed  by  those  who  knew  her  well  as  hav 
ing  possessed  a  certain  air  of  distinction,  that 
commanded  respect  and  attention,  despite  the 
coarseness  of  her  face  and  the  ungainliness  of 
her  figure.  Mrs.  John  Jacob  Astor,  of  New 
York,  who  met  Mrs.  Rush  at  Saratoga  and 
elsewhere,  said  of  her  that  she  was  always 
a  grande  dame,  and  whenever  she  entered  a 
drawing-room,  at  home  or  abroad,  she  became 
at  once  a  centre  of  attraction  and  interest. 

No  children  of  the  same  parents  could  have 
been  more  unlike  than  Mrs.  Rush  and  her 
sister,  Susan  Ridgway.  The  latter  was  at 
tractive  in  appearance  and  as  gentle  and 
retiring  as  Mrs.  Rush  was  independent  and 
pronounced.  Susan  Ridgway  married  Mr. 
Thomas  Rotch,  and  after  his  death  became 
the  wife  of  the  distinguished  Dr.  Rhea  Bar 
ton.  Mrs.  Barton  was  much  beloved  in  her 
native  city,  where  she  spent  the  greater  part 
of  her  life. 

Being  a  woman  of  pronounced  character, 
251 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

strong  prejudices,  and  sometimes  carrying  her 
frankness  to  the  extreme  of  brusqueness,  Mrs. 
Rush  made  many  enemies  and  was  often  the 
subject  of  ill-natured  gossip.  One  day,  at  the 
dinner-table  of  one  of  the  large  hotels  at  Sara 
toga,  some  of  the  guests  made  a  number  of 
unpleasant  and  disparaging  remarks  about 
Mrs.  Rush,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  spend 
ing  the  summer  at  this  watering-place.  Miss 
Josephine  Iturbide  was  at  the  table,  and  after 
listening  for  some  time  with  growing  indigna 
tion,  she  finally  rose  to  her  full  height  and, 
with  a  flash  of  righteous  wrath  in  her  fine 
black  eyes,  exclaimed,  "The  woman  of  whom 
you  are  speaking  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  I  call 
upon  you  to  prove  the  statements  that  you 
have  made."  The  circle  of  gossips — who  had, 
of  course,  no  proofs,  as  they  did  not  even 
know  Mrs.  Rush  and  were  dealing  in  hearsays 
— sat  silent  and  much  discomfited  before 
Miss  Iturbide's  challenge,  while  a  gentleman 
in  another  part  of  the  room  came  forward  and 
asked  to  be  presented  to  Miss  Iturbide,  saying 
that  he  considered  it  an  honor  to  take  by  the 
hand  a  woman  who  could  so  nobly  champion 
an  absent  friend. 

That  Mrs.  Rush's  social  sway  was  arbitrary, 
and  sometimes  even  cruel,  there  can  be  little 
doubt.  If  any  misguided  aspirant  to  social 
joys  essayed  to  enter  her  doors  unbidden,  the 
retribution  that  overtook  the  offender  was  as 
swift  and  sure  as  a  tongue  barbed  with  the 
keenest  satire  could  make  it.  It  is,  however, 
252 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

only  fair  to  this  woman  to  say  that  she  was 
more  prone  to  kindliness  than  to  severity,  and 
delighted  to  find  in  others  the  frankness  that 
she  herself  exercised  to  the  fullest  extent.  An 
equally  frank  and  very  witty  lady,  whom  she 
was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  at  her  home  on 
Fourth  Street,  said  to  her  one  day :  "  Mrs. 
Rush,  I  wish  to  ask  a  favor  of  you.  You  al 
ways  send  me  invitations  to  your  balls.  As  I 
never  go  to  balls,  I  am  obliged  to  sit  down  and 
tell  a  story  once  every  year  by  saying  that  I 
regret  not  being  able  to  accept  your  invitation, 
when  I  don't  regret  it  in  the  least.  I  would 
much  rather  not  have  the  invitation."  Mrs. 
Rush  laughed  and  said,  "  I  like  your  frankness, 
Mrs.  Logan,"  and  then  and  there  promised 
that  she  should  be  troubled  with  no  more  invi 
tations,  although  she  showed  that  she  valued 
Mrs.  Logan's  friendship  by  visiting  her  fre 
quently. 

With  all  Mrs.  Rush's  love  of  books  and 
study,  she  was  an  executive  woman  and  emi 
nently  practical.  Many  persons  remember 
seeing  her  at  market  when  the  market  was 
held  in  the  centre  of  Market  Street,  and  scraps 
of  paper,  still  to  be  found  among  the  Rush 
papers,  upon  which  are  scribbled  household 
items  and  accounts,  prove  that  she  attended 
personally  to  the  ways  of  her  household. 
Some  of  these  notes  show  that  Mrs.  Rush, 
like  other  great  leaders  and  generals,  paid  the 
most  minute  attention  to  details.  When  a 
great  ball  was  on  the  carpet,  every  item  was 

253 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

noted,  from  the  thirty  pounds  of  coffee  that 
were  to  be  roasted  a  week  in  advance  and  put 
away  in  stone  jars  sealed,  and  the  nine  dozen 
terrapin,  to  the  "ribbons  for  the  programmes 
and  the  oranges  and  lemons  to  be  hung  on  the 
orange  and  lemon  trees."  It  was  character 
istic  of  Mrs.  Rush  that,  in  her  abundant  pro 
viding,  she  ordered  generous  rounds  of  corned 
beef  for  the  musicians  and  coachmen. 

In  London  and  Paris,  in  both  of  which  cities 
Dr.  Rush's  brother,  the  Honorable  Richard 
Rush,  represented  the  United  States,  the 
Rushes  received  marked  attention.  In  Paris, 
which  city  they  visited  while  Richard  Rush 
was  American  Minister  there,  they  were  called 
upon,  not  only  by  titled  personages  of  the  new 
regime,  but  by  stately  dames  from  the  Fau 
bourg  St.  Germain.  Here  such  English  and 
American  acquaintances  gathered  around  them 
as  the  Marquess  and  Marchioness  of  Lans- 
downe,  Sir  Edward  Bulwer  Lytton,  George 
Sumner,  from  Boston,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hay- 
ward,  N.  P.  Willis,  Washington  Irving,  the 
Honorable  Robert  Walsh,  Mr.  Henry  Beckett, 
who  had  married  Mr.  Walsh's  daughter,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  James  Hopkinson,  and  Mr.  George 
Tiffany,  who  was  anxious  to  present  his  niece 
to  Mrs.  Rush.  Mr.  George  R.  Gliddon  called 
upon  Mrs.  Rush  and  sent  her  a  specimen  of 
the  latest  "  chique,"  as  we  gather  from  a  tan 
talizing  card  which  gives  us  no  inkling  of  what 
the  latest  "  chique  "  was  at  that  particular  date 
in  the  late  forties. 

254 


Mrs.  John  William  Wallace 

By  George  Freeman 

Page  261 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

So  much  pleasure  did  Mrs.  Rush  find  in  her 
foreign  life,  that  it  was  her  desire  at  this  time 
to  establish  her  residence  abroad.  This  plan, 
however,  did  not  suit  Dr.  Rush,  who,  although 
he  had  travelled  much  on  the  Continent  in  his 
youth  as  well  as  in  maturer  years,  spoke  no 
language  but  his  own,  besides  which  he  seems 
to  have  possessed  a  genuine  affection  for  his 
native  country.  Mrs.  Rush's  desires  were 
overruled  by  those  of  her  husband  in  this 
instance,  which  goes  to  prove  that  Dr.  Rush 
was  not  possessed  of  that  yielding,  almost 
negative,  character  with  which  some  writers 
have  been  disposed  to  endow  him.  Those  who 
knew  this  interesting  and  individual  couple 
best,  say  that  Dr.  Rush  was  very  decided  in 
his  opinions  upon  what  he  considered  subjects 
of  importance,  while  in  all  minor  matters  he 
allowed  his  wife  to  exercise  her  judgment  and 
taste.  In  the  question  of  their  future  home 
Dr.  Rush  was  not  disposed  to  yield,  and  thus 
to  this  quiet,  unobtrusive  scholar  Philadelphia 
was  indebted  for  the  elegant  and  varied  enter 
tainments,  that  made  the  Rush  mansion  a  syn 
onym  for  what  was  gayest  and  most  brilliant 
in  the  social  life  of  this  city  during  the  years 
between  1848  and  1858. 

For  some  time  after  their  return  from  abroad 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  lived  at  358  Spruce  Street, 
in  a  rather  small  and  unpretentious  house. 
This  was  while  the  mansion  on  Chestnut 
Street  was  being  built.  Some  time  in  1850 
they  moved  into  their  new  residence,  as  after 

255 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

that  year  Dr.  Rush's  name  appears  in  the 
directories  of  the  day  as  James  Rush,  M.D., 
Chestnut  Street  west  of  Schuylkill  Fourth. 

The  Aldine  Hotel  stands  upon  the  site  of 
the  Rush  mansion  and  includes  many  of  the 
rooms  that  were  once  the  scene  of  entertain 
ments  which,  if  we  are  to  credit  contempora 
neous  descriptions,  rivalled  in  splendor  and 
brilliancy  the  famous  scenes  of  the  Thousand 
and  One  Nights. 

Some  of  the  Rush  furniture,  in  Buhl  and  in 
rich  damask  and  gold,  is  still  preserved,  and  is 
to  be  seen  at  the  Ridgway  Library,  on  South 
Broad  Street,  where  a  room  is  fitted  up  with 
this  furniture  and  lined  with  books  of  the 
Rushes,  father  and  son.  Certain  pieces  of 
furniture  are  not  only  rich,  but  in  good  taste, 
while  most  of  the  paintings,  statuettes  in 
Parian,  vases,  and  other  ornaments  suggest 
pleasing  reflections  upon  the  immense  strides 
made  in  artistic  culture  and  feeling,  since  the 
days  when  Madam  Rush  furnished  her  new 
mansion  on  Chestnut  Street  according  to  the 
dictates  of  her  fancy.  Although  a  highly  edu 
cated  woman,  Mrs.  Rush  does  not  seem  to 
have  possessed  a  discriminating  taste  in  the 
fine  arts,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  paintings 
that  she  bought  for  her  house.  It  appears, 
however,  from  letters  and  recollections  of  the 
day,  that  unqualified  admiration  was  accorded 
to  the  architecture  and  furnishing  of  the  man 
sion  on  Chestnut  Street.  Mrs.  Henry  Pratt 
McKean  wrote  to  Dr.  Rush,  when  Mr.  Mc- 
256 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Kean  was  building  a  house  on  Walnut  Street 
near  Twentieth,  asking  if  her  husband  might 
be  permitted  to  walk  through  the  lower  floor, 
.adding,  "the  ornamentation  of  the  rooms  we 
remember  as  very  beautiful." 

The  architecture  and  decoration  of  this  house 
were  not  what  lent  to  it  its  chief  charm ;  it 
was  that  Mrs.  Rush  possessed  to  an  unusual 
degree  the  power  of  drawing  together  inter 
esting,  learned,  and  agreeable  people.  At  her 
informal  receptions  and  her  Saturday  matinees 
this  brilliant  hostess  drew  around  her  soldiers, 
statesmen,  men  of  affairs,  novelists,  musicians, 
artists,  princes,  poets,  and  savants,  a  goodly 
company,  each  freely  contributing  of  his  best 
for  the  general  entertainment. 

Miss  Catharine  Rush,  in  speaking  of  the 
matinees  given  by  her  aunt,  at  eleven  o'clock  on 
Saturday  mornings,  said  that  at  these  unique 
entertainments  more  distinguished  men  and 
women  were  gathered  together  than  at  any 
other  house  in  the  United  States.  One  person 
whom  Miss  Rush  remembers  distinctly  was 
Henry  Clay,  with  his  earnest,  grave  face,  so 
much  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts,  or  in  ob 
serving  the  animated  scene  around  him,  that 
he  appeared  quite  unconscious  of  the  interest 
and  attention  that  he  was  exciting  as  the  lion 
of  the  hour. 

A  young    Philadelphian    who  already  gave 

promise  of  a  brilliant  future,  Dr.  Joseph  Leidy, 

was  a  chosen   friend  of   both    Dr.    and    Mrs. 

Rush.     By  the  Doctor  he  was  valued  for  his 

17  257 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

scientific  knowledge,  and  by  the  lady  of  the 
house  for  a  fine  vein  of  humor  and  simplicity, 
•which  belonged  to  him.  This  latter  grace,  per 
haps  the  rarest,  the  gods  bestow  with  seeming 
careless  hand  upon  little  children  and  great 
men,  as  if  to  prove  in  the  latter  case  that  "  much 
learning  "  need  not  "  make  men  mad  "  or  sad. 

We  can  readily  imagine,  when  Dr.  Nathan 
iel  Chapman  uttered  his  latest  bon  mot,  or  Dr. 
Leidy  related  to  the  listening  circle  some  of  the 
wonders  of  the  fairyland  of  science  in  which 
he  loved  to  roam,  that  the  luxurious  surround 
ings  of  the  house  were  for  the  moment  for 
gotten,  and  champagne  and  terrapin  were  not 
needed  to  make  the  entertainment  a  success. 
Sometimes  a  fine  vocalist  would  sing, — Grisi, 
Mario,  and  other  celebrated  artists  were  fre 
quently  presented  to  Mrs.  Rush's  guests ; 
sometimes  a  recitation  would  be  given  or 
some  great  curiosity  exhibited,  and  always 
there  were  good  music  and  a  general  discus 
sion  of  the  topics  of  the  day. 

Among  guests  of  Mrs.  Rush  who  could  re 
late  tales  worth  hearing  were  Mr.  George 
Robins  Gliddon,  the  archaeologist,  who  had 
lived  in  Egypt  as  Vice-Consul,  Mr.  G.  A.  Peri- 
cardis,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Fishbourn  Wharton, 
who,  in  addition  to  the  many  voyages  that  he 
had  made  to  China,  enjoyed  the  distinction  of 
having  been  taken  prisoner  by  a  French  vessel 
and  carried  to  Paris.  Not  being  kept  in  severe 
durance,  Mr.  Wharton  had  many  stories  to 
tell  of  the  gay  capital  under  the  Directory,  in 

258 


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whose  streets  he  often  met  Madame  Reca- 
mier  and  Madame  Beauharnais,  afterwards 
Madame  Bonaparte.  One  of  the  brilliant  fig 
ures  of  the  Rush  entertainments  of  earlier 
days  had  passed  away  ;  the  sparkling  wit  of 
Nicholas  Biddle  no  longer  delighted  the  ap 
preciative  hostess  or  the  listening  guests. 

An  attractive  feature  of  Mrs.  Rush's  house, 
unusual  in  those  days,  was  a  conservatory 
on  either  side  of  the  ball-room,  which  it  was 
Dr.  Rush's  pleasure  to  fill  with  birds,  as  well 
as  with  blooming  plants.  This  combination 
of  conservatory  and  aviary  added  much  to 
the  fairy-like  beauty  of  the  scene.  To  the 
eyes  of  the  many  debutantes  who  made  their 
entree  at  Mrs.  Rush's  balls,  the  hostess,  who 
without  beauty  was  capable  of  presenting 
a  very  magnificent  appearance,  must  have 
seemed  like  the  Queen  of  Fairyland,  albeit 
a  very  robust  and  portly  Titania,  habited 
in  rich  velvet  and  lace  instead  of  in  the  con 
ventional  gossamer  and  butterflies'  wings  of 
the  land  of  fancy.  Around  the  hostess  were 
grouped  such  veritable  graces  and  beauties  as 
Elizabeth  Willing,  who  married  Mrs.  Rush's 
brother,  John  Jacob  Ridgway ;  Mrs.  John 
Butler;  the  James  sisters,  Phoebe  and  Patty, 
both  handsome,  the  latter  distinguished  for  her 
exquisite  and  spirituelle  beauty;  Emeline  and 
Caroline  Phillips ;  Elizabeth  Wadsworth,  of 
New  York,  and  her  even  more  beautiful  sister- 
in-law,  Mrs.  James  S.  Wadsworth,  who  was 
a  daughter  of  Mr.  John  Wharton,  of  Philadel- 
259 


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phia.  A  frequent  guest  at  Mrs.  Rush's  enter 
tainments  recalls  an  evening  when  some  lover 
of  beauty,  seeing  Mrs.  John  Jacob  Ridgway, 
Mrs.  Wadsworth,  and  Mrs.  John  Butler  stand 
ing  a  little  apart  from  the  company  engaged  in 
conversation,  drew  a  number  of  persons  to  the 
door  of  the  room  that  they  might  admire  the 
charming  tableau  vivant  of  these  three  graces, 
each  one  so  lovely  that  it  was  a  puzzle  to 
the  beholder  to  know  to  which  one  should  be 
awarded  the  golden  apple  of  the  gods.  The 
three  matrons  stood  talking  together  some 
time  before  they  realized  that  they  formed  a 
distinct  centre  of  admiration  and  interest,  and 
then,  says  the  narrator,  there  was  some  indig 
nation  on  the  part  of  the  fair  dames.  Short 
lived  anger  was  this,  we  may  believe,  as  there 
are  few  women,  in  the  past  or  the  present, 
who  are  capable  of  cherishing  any  very  deep 
resentment  against  those  whose  only  offence 
is  to  acknowledge  and  pay  tribute  to  that 
power  which  has  moved  men  and  nations,  and 
far  back  in  the  world's  history  led  armies  to 
contend  upon  the  shores  of  Hellas. 

Mrs.  John  Butler  was  a  daughter  of  Lewis 
Morris,  of  Morrisania,  New  York,  while  from 
her  mother,  Miss  Manigault,  of  South  Caro 
lina,  she  inherited  her  Southern  beauty  and 
charm  of  manner.  The  Honorable  Craig 
Biddle,  in  writing  of  Mrs.  Butler,  said  that, 
with  rare  beauty  and  distinction  of  manners, 
"  The  object  of  admiration  both  in  this  coun 
try  and  in  Europe,  from  her  earliest  years, 
260 


Mrs.  John  Butler 
By  George  Freeman 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

and  frequenting  for  a  time  the  gayest  society, 
she  preserved  the  same  natural,  unaffected  de 
meanor,  and  proved  that  spotless  purity,  even 
from  the  breath  of  scandal,  was  compatible  with 
youth,  beauty,  and  every  attraction  and  success 
in  social  life.  She  possessed  great  tact,  and 
that  rare  sense  called  *  common  sense.'" 

Captain  John  Butler  for  many  years  com 
manded  the  First  Troop  of  Philadelphia  City 
Cavalry,  and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
with  Mexico  raised  a  company  of  horse,  of 
fered  his  services,  and  died  during  the  cam 
paign.  Captain  Butler  was  a  brother  of  Major 
Pierce  Butler,  who  married  Miss  Frances  Anne 
Kemble,  whose  marvellous  impersonations  are 
still  remembered  by  old  Philadelphians,  who 
delight  in  describing  her  as  she  appeared  as 
"Juliet"  or  as  "Bianca"  in  "Fazio,"  in  which 
latter  rdle  Miss  Kemble  made  her  debut  in  New 
York  and  in  Philadelphia. 

Other  belles  and  beauties  who  added  to  the 
brilliancy  of  Mrs.  Rush's  entertainments  were 
Mrs.  John  William  Wallace,  who  inherited 
the  proverbial  Willing  beauty,  the  Misses  Mc- 
Ilvaine,  one  of  whom  married  Mr.  William 
Camac,  and  Mrs.  Carleton,  the  wife  of  Judge 
Carleton.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Carleton  had  no 
occasion  for  reprisals,  as  both  had  been  mar 
ried  before.  Mrs.  Carleton,  born  Maria  Van 
Der  Burgh,  had  married  Mr.  Wiltbank  in  her 
early  youth,  while  Judge  Carleton's  first  wife 
was  Aglae  d'Aversac  de  Castera,  a  sister 
of  Louise  d'Aversac,  who  married  Edward 

261 


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Livingston,  of  New  York.  Judge  Carleton 
was  a  man  of  distinguished  ability  and  attain 
ments,  and  so  charming  in  conversation  and 
manner  that  Mrs.  Rush  was  pleased  to  call 
him  the  Chesterfield  of  America.  Especial 
friends  of  Dr.  Rush  as  well  as  of  Mrs.  Rush, 
Judge  Carleton  and  his  wife  were  always 
warmly  welcomed  to  their  home.  When  Mrs. 
Carleton  entered  the  reception-room,  in  her  ex 
quisite  French  costumes  of  ermine  and  velvet, 
Mrs.  Rush  would  sometimes  thank  her  for 
adding  so  much  to  the  beauty  of  her  rooms  by 
her  attractive  appearance,  which  proves  that 
this  woman  who  had  the  reputation  of  making 
sarcastic  remarks,  could  also  be  gracious  and 
appreciative. 

Another  instance  of  Mrs.  Rush's  kindness 
to  young  guests  from  another  city  has  been 
preserved  in  the  Mason  family  of  Georgetown. 
It  was  an  open  secret  that  Dr.  Rush  had  in 
his  youth  been  in  love  with  Miss  Eliza  Chew. 
Miss  Chew  married  Mr.  James  M.  Mason. 
Many  years  later  the  daughters  of  this  couple 
were  making  a  visit  to  Philadelphia.  Mrs. 
Rush  received  them  in  her  home  with  warm 
hospitality,  saying  to  Miss  Mason,  "  You  know 
very  well,  my  dear,  that  if  your  mother  had 
chosen  to  come,  I  should  not  be  here."  In 
view  of  the  well-known  fact  that  Mrs.  Rush's 
large  means  provided  the  beautiful  surround 
ings  in  which  she  received  her  guests,  this 
speech  was  as  generous  as  it  was  graceful. 

Although  Mrs.  Rush  made  no  secret  of  the 
262 


Mrs.  James  S.  Wadsworth 
By  Thomas  Sully 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

fact  that  she  preferred  the  society  of  intelli 
gent  men  to  that  of  the  average  woman,  she 
had  warm  friends  among  her  own  sex.  The 
younger  women  whom  she  liked  and  admired 
were  Mrs.  Joshua  Lippincott,  the  niece  and 
adopted  daughter  of  Mr.  James  Dundas  ;  witty, 
vivacious  Mrs.  George  Chapman  and  Mrs. 
Oliver  Hopkinson,  who  recalls  delightful  even 
ings  at  the  Rush  mansion  and  at  her  own 
house,  where  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  were  frequent 
guests.  Mrs.  Hopkinson,  with  a  humorous 
twinkle  in  her  eye,  tells  of  a  certain  Baron 

P ,  who  came  to  Philadelphia  with  letters 

to  the  German  Consul  and  to  Mrs.  Rush.  The 
stranger  was  entertained  by  Mrs.  Rush,  who 
asked  Mrs.  Hopkinson  to  invite  him  to  one  of 
her  evening  parties,  which  she  did.  The  man 
ners  of  the  Baron  were  noticed  to  be  rather 
peculiar,  and  at  the  end  of  a  few  days  he  sud 
denly  left  the  city.  From  letters  received  by 
the  Consul,  it  appeared  that  he  and  Mrs.  Rush 
had  both  been  deceived  by  an  impostor.  This 
incident  was  not  one  of  Mrs.  Rush's  favorite 
reminiscences,  as  she  prided  herself  upon  her 
knowledge  of  the  world  and  of  human  nature. 
A  New  York  beauty  who  was  frequently  to 
be  met  at  the  Rushes'  was  Elizabeth  Wads- 
worth,  a  sister  of  General  James  S.  Wads- 
worth,  of  Geneseo.  Miss  Wadsworth  was  an 
intimate  friend  of  the  Hopkinsons,  by  whom 
she  is  described  as  lovely  in  character  as  well 
as  beautiful  in  person.  For  Mr.  Joseph  Hop- 
kinson's  daughter,  Mrs.  William  Biddle,  Miss 
263 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

Wadsworth  had  her  portrait  painted  by  Sully, 
which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  Hopkinson 
family.  When  the  Honorable  Charles  Augus 
tus  Murray  was  in  America  collecting  mate 
rials  for  his  book  of  travels  among  the  Indians 
of  North  America,  and  for  his  "Prairie  Bird," 
which  appeared  later,  he  met  Miss  Wads- 
worth  and  became  warmly  attached  to  her. 
The  American  beauty  returned  the  affection 
of  her  English  lover,  but  refused  to  marry  him 
and  leave  her  father.  Some  years  later,  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Wadsworth,  his  daughter 
accepted  an  invitation  to  go  abroad  with  a 
party  of  friends.  In  London  or  in  Paris  she 
met  Mr.  Murray,  who  had  remained  faithful 
to  his  early  love  ;  they  became  engaged,  were 
married,  and  went  to  Cairo,  where  Mr.  Murray 
held  an  official  position. 

Among  frequent  guests  of  Mrs.  Rush's  were 
Mrs.  Edward  Biddle,  who  as  Mrs.  John  Craig 
had  visited  her  in  her  home  opposite  the  State 
House;  Commodore  and  Judge  Biddle,  and 
Mr.  Henry  D.  Gilpin,  whose  Southern  wife 
afterwards  held  an  interesting  and  attractive 
salon  in  Philadelphia ;  while  from  New  York 
there  came  Eugene  Livingston,  Mrs.  Van 
Rensselaer,  of  Albany,  Miss  Euphemia  Van 
Rensselaer,  Dr.  Valentine  Mott,  and  Miss 
Lynch,  aftewards  Mrs.  Botta,  who  gathered 
around  her  in  her  own  salon  in  New  York  all 
the  clever  people,  the  brilliant  conversational 
ists,  the  artists,  and  literati  of  her  time. 

Mrs.  Rush,  with  whom  the  art  of  enter- 
264 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

taining  had  been  elevated  to  the  dignity  of  a 
science,  had  her  codes  and  aphorisms.  One 
of  her  favorite  sayings  was  :  "  An  ex-Presi 
dent,  a  foreign  minister,  a  poet,  two  or  three 
American  artists,  as  many  lady  authors,  a 
dozen  merchants,  lawyers,  physicians,  and 
others  who  are  there  on  the  simple  footing 
of  « gentlemen  ' — their  wives  who  come  as  re 
spectable  and  agreeable  *  ladies' — fifty  young 
men  who  are  good  beaux  and  dance  well,  fifty 
pretty  girls  without  money,  but  respectable, 
well  dressed,  lively,  charming,  are  always  in 
dispensable  at  a  party." 

Of  pretty  girls  and  worthy  young  men  who 
were  ready  to  dance  to  the  piping  of  Mrs. 
Rush's  fiddlers,  there  were  doubtless  no  lack ; 
but  in  securing  the  requisite  complement  of 
"  lady  authors,"  the  powers  of  this  valiant 
hostess  must  at  times  have  been  taxed,  as 
women  writers  were  not  as  numerous  in  old 
Philadelphia  as  in  that  of  to-day.  Mrs.  Rush, 
however,  made  the  most  of  what  she  could 
command.  Mrs.  Sarah  Josepha  Hale,  probably 
the  first  woman  editor  in  America,  was  then 
conducting  the  Godeys  Lady's  Book  in  Phila 
delphia,  and  Miss  Eliza  Leslie,  who  so  charm 
ingly  combined  the  ideal  and  the  practical, 
was  writing  her  clever  tales,  compiling  her 
cookery  books,  and  editing  her  magazine. 
Miss  Leslie  was  often  at  Mrs.  Rush's  house 
with  her  beautiful  sister,  Patty,  who  married 
Mr.  Henry  C.  Carey. 

To  her  gay  freight  of  belles  and  beaux,  this 
265 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

diplomatic  hostess  added  as  ballast  a  number 
of  older  men  and  women  who  preferred  cards 
or  conversation  to  dancing,  and  always  such 
lions  in  literature,  art,  and  science  as  happened 
to  be  roaming  about  Philadelphia  at  that  time. 
It  was  this  latter  feature  of  Mrs.  Rush's  enter 
tainments  that  won  for  them  their  title  to  dis 
tinction.  Other  Philadelphians  gave  handsome 
balls,  and  dances  of  greater  or  less  brilliancy, 
but  her  entertainments  possessed  the  unique 
attraction  of  drawing  together  the  wise  and 
learned  as  well  as  the  gay  and  the  pleasure- 
loving. 

When  she  gave  her  great  balls  Mrs.  Rush 
stood  at  the  entrance  to  her  reception-room, 
which  was  on  the  left  of  the  hall.  Through 
this  reception-room  the  guests  passed,  and 
on  through  another  small  room  into  the  large 
ball-room,  which  included  the  two  drawing- 
rooms  and  the  hall,  the  doors  being  so  arranged 
that  these  three  rooms  could  be  thrown  into 
one.  The  conservatories  occupied  the  wings 
on  either  side,  between  which  lay  the  garden, 
which,  like  the  conservatories,  was  always 
brilliantly  illuminated.  The  supper-room  was 
on  the  second  floor  over  the  ball-room.  The 
buffet  was  along  the  side  of  the  room,  the 
great  supper-table,  which  could  accommodate 
sixty  persons,  being  in  the  centre.  Here  the 
ladies  were  all  seated,  the  gentlemen  standing 
behind  their  chairs  to  wait  upon  them.  In 
this  instance  Mrs.  Rush  was  kind  to  her  own 
sex  in  sparing  them  from  standing  with  a  plate 
266 


Nicholas  Biddle 
By  Thomas  Sully 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

in  one  hand  and  a  wine-glass  in  the  other, 
while  they  balanced  in  their  minds  the  rival 
claims  of  nectar  and  ambrosia.  How  the  ap 
petites  of  the  waiting  gentlemen  were  satisfied 
is  involved  in  some  doubt,  as  it  was  clearly 
understood  that  there  was  to  be  no  undue  loit 
ering  at  the  festal  board.  In  those  hours  of 
"  storm  and  stress  "  even  this  valiant  hostess 
must  have  longed  for  the  serene  face  and 
"steadfast  cheek"  of  the  unflinching  Bogle, 
who,  whether  his  duty  called  him  to  preside 
over  scenes  of  joy  or  woe,  was  more  than 
equal  to  each  occasion.  This  celebrated  waiter, 
without  whom  no  Philadelphian  of  a  certain 
station  in  social  life  could  entertain,  be  chris 
tened,  married,  or  buried  with  due  state,  pro 
priety,  and  solemnity,  has  been  immortalized 
by  Mr.  Nicholas  Biddle  in  some  of  his  humor 
ous  verses.  Of  this  "  colorless  colored  man  " — 
Robert  Bogle  was  a  light  mulatto — Mr.  Biddle 
wrote : 

"  See  him,  erect,  with  lofty  tread, 
The  dark  scarf  streaming  from  his  head, 
Lead  forth  his  groups  in  order  meet 
And  range  them  grief-wise  in  the  street ; 
Presiding  o'er  the  solemn  show — 
The  very  Chesterfield  of  woe." 


"  Nor  less,  stupendous  man !  thy  power 
In  festal  than  in  funeral  hour, 
When  gas  and  beauty's  blended  rays 
Set  hearts  and  ball-rooms  in  a  blaze, 
Or  spermaceti's  light  reveals 
More  '  inward  bruises '  than  it  heals ; 
267 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

In  flames  each  belle  her  victim  kills, 
And  '  sparks  fly  upward  '  in  quadrilles : 
Like  iceberg  in  an  Indian  clime 
Refreshing  Bogle  breathes  sublime 
Cool  airs  upon  that  sultry  stream, 
From  Roman  punch  and  frosted  cream." 

Bogle,  like  his  genial  chronicler,  had  taken 
his  place  in  the  halls  of  the  immortals,  the 
"  undertaker  had  been  overtaken,"  and  John 
son  and  Chew  marshalled  the  gay  throng  in 
Mrs.  Rush's  dining-room. 

In  was  on  the  occasion  of  one  of  the  last  of 
these  great  balls  that  the  affair  of  the  Rush 
diamonds  occurred,  which  stirred  the  Phila 
delphia  world  of  that  day  as  once  the  world 
of  Paris  was  stirred  by  the  mystery  of  a 
diamond  necklace.  The  story,  "  a  twice-told 
tale  "  to  many  old  inhabitants,  runs  thus  :  The 
ball,  given  in  January,  1857,  was  one  of  great 
splendor.  Mrs.  Rush  is  described  by  a  lady, 
who  distinctly  recollects  many  incidents  of 
this  famous  entertainment,  as  standing  at  the 
entrance  to  the  reception-room  to  welcome 
her  guests,  attired  in  crimson  velvet  trimmed 
with  rich  white  lace,  her  neck  and  arms  blazing 
with  jewels.  This  lady  recalls  the  beauty 
and  brilliancy  of  the  scene,  the  last  of  many 
balls  given  by  this  hospitable  couple,  who 
were  so  soon  to  be  the  victims  of  a  strange 
and  mysterious  robbery.  The  narrator  re 
members  that  a  light  fall  of  snow  covered  the 
ground  when  the  guests  tripped  down  the 
steps  to  their  carnages.  It  was  about  five  in 
268 


Mrs.  Nicholas  Biddle 
By  Thomas  Sully 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

the  morning  when,  the  last  guest  having  de 
parted,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  retired  to  their 
rooms.  Mrs.  Rush  removed  her  diamonds, 
which  were  valued  at  twenty-one  thousand 
dollars,  and  left  them  in  their  caskets  on  her 
dressing-table,  the  outer  door  of  her  room,  ac 
cording  to  her  own  account,  not  being  fas 
tened.  Overcome  by  the  fatigue  of  the  evening, 
she  dismissed  her  maid  and  retired  at  once, 
without  stopping  to  put  away  her  jewels.  In  the 
short  interval  before  daylight  Mrs.  Rush  fan 
cied  that  she  heard  the  door  leading  from  her 
room  to  Dr.  Rush's  open  and  shut;  but  sup 
posing  that  it  was  her  husband  passing  through, 
she  paid  no  attention  to  the  circumstance.  He, 
too,  heard  the  noise,  and  wondered  "what 
Ann  was  up  for,"  but  paid  no  attention  to  it. 
At  daylight  the  next  morning  Mrs.  Rush  recol 
lected  that  she  had  not  left  on  the  ledge  or 
table  outside  some  money  for  an  article  that 
she  was  always  accustomed  to  send  to  market 
for  on  that  day,  which  must  be  purchased 
early.  She  rose  and  went  to  her  bureau- 
drawer,  in  which  she  had  left  some  money ; 
the  money  was  gone;  she  opened  the  jewel 
caskets,  which  were  empty.*  She  instantly 

*  In  one  account  of  this  affair,  it  is  stated  that  the  robbery 
occurred  a  night  and  a  day  after  the  ball,  as  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Rush  slept  very  late  into  the  next  day.  This  seems  rather 
improbable  for  several  reasons,  and  may  be  almost  dis 
proved  by  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Rush  could  not  have  sent  her 
maid  to  market  on  Sunday  morning.  This  ball,  like  all 
the  Rush  balls,  was  given  on  Friday  night. 
269 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

aroused  Dr.  Rush,  who  bade  her  keep  still 
while  he  examined  the  doors  of  the  house.  All 
were  locked  and  the  outer  hall  door  was  duly 
fastened.  The  new-fallen  snow  showed  no 
trace  of  footsteps.  Dr.  Rush  called  a  detec 
tive  ;  the  servants  were  assembled  and  told 
that  they  must  submit  to  an  examination.  Not 
a  trace  of  the  thief  or  booty  could  be  found. 
The  police  of  Philadelphia  did  their  best,  but 
discovered  nothing.  The  matter  created  a 
great  sensation  and  was  the  subject  of  news 
paper  comment  in  other  cities.  Many  persons 
insisted  on  suspecting  one  of  the  guests  at  the 
ball,  but  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  seem  to  have 
thought  otherwise.  The  detective  fancied 
something  suspicious  in  the  manner  of  the 
cook,  who  was  engaged  to  a  jeweller  in 
New  Orleans,  whom  she  afterwards  married. 
Nothing  could  be  proved,  however,  to  justify 
her  detention. 

This  is  the  clearest  and  most  detailed  ac 
count  of  the  transaction  that  has  yet  appeared. 
It  was  currently  reported  at  one  time  that  the 
jewels  had  been  restored,  also  that  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Rush  had  discovered  the  offender,  whose 
name  they  suppressed  from  motives  of  delicacy 
and  kindness.  This  latter  is  only  an  on  dit. 
Nothing  has  been  absolutely  proved;  and  so 
the  interesting  affair  of  the  Rush  diamonds 
must  be  left  among  the  unsolved  mysteries  of 
history  and  romance. 

Not  many  months  after  this  famous  ball, 
which  became  notable  on  account  of  the 

270 


SALONS     COLONIAL     &     REPUBLICAN 

strange  disappearance  of  the  jewels  of  the 
hostess,  Mrs.  Rush  died  suddenly  at  Saratoga. 
Dr.  Rush,  lonely  and  old  before  his  time,  re 
turned  to  the  great  house  on  Chestnut  Street, 
where  he  led  the  life  of  a  recluse.  The  spa 
cious  rooms  were  all  closed  except  the  one  or 
two  which  he  used,  and  here  he  lived  alone 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  After  the  death  of 
Dr.  Rush,  it  was  found  that  a  large  portion  of 
the  fortune  that  he  and  Mrs.  Rush  had  enjoyed 
was  left  for  the  erection  of  a  library  on  Broad 
Street.  This  library,  in  accordance  with  the 
modest  request  of  Dr.  Rush,  was  to  be  called 
the  Ridgway  Library,  the  bulk  of  their  fortune 
having  come  from  the  father  of  Mrs.  Rush,  old 
Jacob  Ridgway,  the  Quaker  merchant. 

The  Ridgway  Library  on  South  Broad  Street, 
with  its  many  rare  books  and  manuscripts  and 
its  pleasant  reading-rooms  and  alcoves,  is  a 
fitting  memorial  to  Mrs.  Rush,  who  was  all 
her  life  a  lover  and  patron  of  letters.  Yet  her 
highest  claim  to  distinction  will  ever  rest  in  the 
fact  that  she  gathered  around  her  the  brightest 
and  best  men  and  women  in  her  own  city, 
and  afforded  them  opportunities  to  meet  dis 
tinguished  persons  from  other  cities  and  lands. 
For  this,  her  name  should  descend  to  posterity 
with  those  of  the  pre'cieuses  of  France,  who 
gave  to  the  world  the  highest  ideal  of  the 
salon,  and  with  the  names  of  such  English 
women  as  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Montague,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Carter,  and  charming  Mary  Clarke, 
Madame  Mohl. 

271 


INDEX 


Abercrombie,  Dr.,  log. 

Adams,  Abigail  (Mrs.  William 
S.  Smith),  45. 

Adams,  Charles,  45. 

Adams,  Henry,  historian,  187, 
1 88. 

Adams,  John,  in  Philadelphia, 
28,  77,  83, 105, 108,  112,  170  ;  Vice- 
President,  35,  43 ;  advice  on 
etiquette,  36-39  ;  salary  of,  41 ; 
in  London,  44,  101  ;  President 
of  United  States,  153,  181-183. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  103,  206. 

Adams,  Mrs.  John,  letters  of,  63  ; 
in  London,  102,  231  ;  impres 
sions  of  Philadelphia,  103-106; 
admires  Philadelphia  women, 
134.  135.  14* »  150  5  ability  of,  149, 
192  ;  in  Washington,  180-183  ; 
drawing-room  of,  182-184. 

Alexander,  Catherine,  64  (see 
Lady  C.  Duer). 

Alexander,  William,  Earl  of 
Stirling,  64,  66. 

Alison,  Dr.  Francis,  28. 

Allen,  Ann,  94  (see  Mrs.  John 
Penn). 

Allen,  Mrs.  William,  120. 

Allen,  William,  Chief  Justice, 
25-27,  94,  212. 

Alsop,  John,  44. 

Alsop,   Mary  (Mrs.  Rufus  King), 

44- 

Ames,  Fisher,  49,  103. 

Andre,  Major  John,  78. 

Armstrong,  General  John,  Secre 
tary  of  War,  204,  205. 


Arnold,  General  Benedict,  95,119. 
Arnold,  Mrs.  Benedict,  133,  145. 
Ashburton,   Lady  (Anne  Louisa 

Bingham),  141,  152,  219. 
Ashburton,    Lady    Harriet,    152, 

240. 
Ashburton,     Lord       (Alexander 

Baring),  152,  155,  219. 
Astor,  Mrs.  John  Jacob,  of  New 

York,  251. 
41  Asylum,"  146. 


Bache,  Mrs.  Richard,  131,  132. 

Bacourt,  M.  de,  248. 

Bagot,  Sir  Charles,  207. 

Bancroft,  George,  historian,  250. 

Bank  of  North  America,  char 
tered,  136,  137. 

Baring,  Henry,  152, 153. 

Baring,  Hon.  Alexander,  152  (see 
Lord  Ashburton). 

Baring,  Sir  Francis,  152. 

Baring,  William  Bingham  (Lord 
Ashburton),  152. 

Barlow,  Joel,  in. 

Barnes,  Mrs.  (Priscilla  Birch), 
miniature  of,  223. 

Barron,  Captain  James,  of  "Ches 
apeake,"  200. 

Barron,  Isabel,  miniature  of,  228. 

Barton,  Benjamin  Smith,  no. 

Barton,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Rhea,  251. 

Barton.  Judge  William,  designs 
seal  of  United  States,  no;  por 
trait  of,  no,  213. 

Barton,  Mrs.  William,  portrait 
of,  112,  213. 

Barton,  Rev.  Thomas,  17,  «2. 


18 


273 


INDEX 


Bartram's  Garden,  108. 
Bartram,  John,  109. 
Bat-tram,  William,  109,  no,  167. 
Bayard,  James  A.,  206. 
Bayard,  Mrs.  John,  53. 
Beaujolais,  Due  de,  in  Philadel 
phia,  158. 

Beckett,  Henry,  254. 
Beekman,  Mrs.  James,  53. 
Bell,  Mrs.  David  (Judith   Cary), 

23- 

Bembridge,  Henry,  an. 
Beveridge,  John,  27,  28,  220. 
Biddle,  Colonel  Clement,  93,  117, 

228. 

Biddle,  Commodore,  264. 
Biddle,  Hon.  Craig,  260,  264. 
Biddle,  Mrs.  Clement,  23,  228. 
Biddle,  Mrs.  Edward  (Mrs.  John 

Craig),  247,  264. 

Biddle,  Mrs.  Nicholas,  227,248. 
Biddle,  Mrs.  William,  263. 
Biddle,  Nicholas,  portrait  of,  227  ; 

appearance,   248 ;    wit    of,    249, 

259  ;  verses  of,  267. 
Bingham,      Anne     Louisa     (see 

Lady  Ashburton). 
Bingham,    Maria    Matilda,     152, 

153. 

Bingham,  Mrs.  William,  ad 
mired  by  Mrs.  Adams,  105,  141, 
142,  181 ;  attractions  of,  129,  146, 
148  ;  marriage  of,  135 ;  abroad, 
138  ;  has  portrait  of  Washing 
ton  painted,  139,  140  ;  portraits 
of,  141  ;  family  of,  144,  155 ; 
drawing-room  of,  149,  150,  162, 
235 ;  difficulty  with  Wignell, 
150-152  ;  marriage  of  daughters, 

152-155. 

Bingham,  "William,  new  house, 
78,  142,  143, 145,  236  ;  owns  Lans- 
downe,  99  ;  financial  aid  in 
Revolution,  136,  137  ;  friendship 
with  Lord  Lansdowne,  138,  140  ; 
portraits  of,  141,  219  ;  friend  of 
Washington,  146;  marriage  of 
daughters,  152-155. 


Binney,  Hon.  Horace,  162. 

Binney,  Mary,  160. 

Binney,     Susan    (Mrs.    John   B. 

Wallace),  107. 

Birch,  William  R.,  artist,  an ; 
enamels  of  Washington,  221 ; 
recollections  of,  216-221  ;  anec 
dote  of  Athenaeum  portrait,  221, 
222  ;  miniatures,  223,  224. 

Blackwell,  Rev.  Robert,  109,  144. 

Bland,  Colonel  Theodoric,  48,  133. 

Blodget,  Samuel,  173,  174. 

Bogle,  «•  Ode  to,"  267,  268. 

Bolivar,  General  Simon,  233. 

Bonaparte,  Charlotte,  244,  245. 

Bonaparte,  Joseph,  at  Point 
Breeze,  220,  232,  244,  245  ;  at  the 
Rushes',  243,  245. 

Bonaparte,  Madame  Jerome,  204. 

Bonaparte,  Zenaide,  244. 

Bond,  Phineas,  25. 

Bond,  Thomas,  25. 

Bordley,  Elizabeth,  156. 

Boston,  society  in,  128,  129. 

Botta,  Mrs.  Vincenzo,  264. 

Bowdoin,  Governor  James,  51. 

Bradford,  William,  Attorney- 
General,  43,  75,  117. 

Bradford,  William,  early  printer, 
29. 

Bradford,  William,  "  patriot 
printer,"  28,  29. 

Bradstreet,  Mrs.  Simon,  13. 

Breck,  Hon.  Samuel,  recollec 
tions  of,  128,  131  ;  at  the  Bing- 
hams',  138,  139,  149;  friend  of 
French  exiles,  158,  159;  in 
Washington,  197. 

Breck,  Samuel,  Sr.,  of  Boston, 
128,  158. 

Brown,  John  Henry,  artist,  211, 
231. 

Browne,  English  artist,  231. 

Bryas,  Countess  Jacques  de,  141. 

Buchanan,  James,  229. 

Bullus,  Dr.  John,  affair  of  "  Ches 
apeake,"  199,  200  ;  portraits  of, 
213. 


274 


INDEX 


Bullus,  Mrs.  John,  199,  200. 
Burd,  Edward,  145. 
Bush  Hill  Hospital,  171. 
Butler,  Captain  John,  261. 
Butler,  Major  Pierce,  166,  261. 
Butler,  Mrs.  John,  259-261. 
Butler,  Mrs.  Pierce  (F.  A.  Kem- 

ble),  248,  250. 

Byrd,  Colonel  William,  145. 
Byrd,  Mrs.  William,  144,  145. 


Cadwalader,    Colonel    Lambert, 

132- 

Cadwalader,  Dr.  Thomas,  25. 
Cadwalader,    Frances,    153    (see 

Lady  Erskine). 

Cadwalader,  General  John,  199. 
Cadwalader,    General     Thomas, 

228,  244. 
Cadwalader,  Mrs.  John,  195,  197, 

198. 
Callander,    Mrs.  James    H.,   198, 

199. 
Camac,  Mr.  and  Mrs.   William, 

261. 

Caradori-Allan,  Madame,  246,  247. 
Carey,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  C.,  265. 
Carleton,  Judge,  240,  261,  262. 
Carleton,  Mrs.,  262. 
Carlyle,  Jane  Welsh,  152. 
Carpenter,  Joshua,  ig,. 
Carroll,    Charles,    of   Carrollton, 

43,  60. 

Carroll,  Daniel,  177. 
Carroll,    Mrs.    Charles.    (Harriet 

Chew),  225,  226. 
Gary,  Colonel  Archibald,  23. 
Caton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard,  60. 
Chambers,  Charlotte,  106,  107. 
Chapman,     Dr.     Nathaniel,    244, 

263. 

Chapman,  Mrs.  George,  263. 
Chase,  Judge  Samuel,  218,  219. 
Chastellux,  Marquis  de,  in  Phila 
delphia,  74,   119,  130;    remarks 

on  society  in  Philadelphia,  no, 


I31~i35  J     in    South    and    East, 

127-129. 

Chestnut,  Mrs.  James,  161,  168. 
Cheves,  Judge  Langdon,  228-230. 
Cheves,  Mrs.  Langdon,  228-230. 
Chew,  Ann,  207,  208. 
Chew,    Chief-Justice    Benjamin, 

political    positions    of,    83,    84 ; 

town  residence,    99 ;     German- 
town  home,  117,  225. 
Chew,     Peggy     (Mrs.     John    E. 

Howard),  99. 
Chew,      Sophia      (Mrs.      Henry 

Philips),  139,  225. 
Clay,  Henry,  206  ;    guest  of  Mrs. 

Rush,  257. 

Clifford,  Anna,  32,  90. 
Clifford,  John,  85,  90. 
Clifford,  Thomas,  31. 
Clinton,  Mrs.  George,  53. 
Clinton,  Sir  Henry,  119. 
Clymer,  George,  47,  67,  68,  99,  105, 

2J2. 

Clymer,  Mary,  141. 

Clymer,  Mrs.  Henry,  154,  155. 

Clymer,  William  Bingham,  141. 

Cockburn,  Admiral,  206. 

Coleman,  Elizabeth,  214. 

College  of  Philadelphia  (Univer 
sity  of  Pennsylvania),  founding 
«f,  26,  27,  30. 

Conyngham,  David  H.,  136,  158. 

Cooper,  Dr.  Samuel,  170. 

Copley,  John  Singleton,  artist, 
217. 

Cosway,  Richard,  artist,  225. 

Cox,  Colonel  John,  Assistant 
Quartermaster,  99,  too,  117,  168. 

Cox,  Elizabeth,  161,  162. 

Cox,  Mrs.  John,  99,  100,  157  ;  let 
ters  from  Philadelphia,  160, 161, 
168,  169. 

Cox,  Sarah  (see  Mrs.  John  R. 
Coxe),  157. 

Coxe,  Dr.  John  R.,  168-170,  213. 

Coxe,  Mrs.  John  R.,  155,  156, 
161,  168, 

Coxe,  Tench,  76. 


275 


INDEX 


Gushing,  Judge  William,  223. 
Gushing,  Mrs.  William,  223,  224. 
Custis,      Eleanor      Parke     (Mrs. 

Lawrence  Lewis),  52,  97. 
Custis,  Eliza  Parke  (Mrs.  Thomas 

Law),  97. 

Custis,  G.  W.  P.,  52,  116,  200. 
Custis,  Martha  Parke,  97. 
Cutler,      Rev.     Manasseh,    New 

York  diary,  49,  50,  56,  65,  66. 
Cutts,  Mrs.  Richard,  191,  192. 


Damas,  Charles,  Comte  de,  129, 
130,  133. 

Dana,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard, 
miniatures  of,  230,  231. 

Decatur,  Stephen,  208. 

Drayton,  Col.  and  Mrs.  William, 
247. 

Dickinson,  General  Philemon, 
46,  67. 

Dickinson,  John,  27,  121,  124, 
174- 

Dove,  James  David,  28. 

Downing,  Jacob,  90,  91. 

Dreer,  Ferdinand  J.,  232. 

Drexel,  Francis  Martin,  comes 
to  Philadelphia,  232  ;  paints 
portraits,  232  ;  banker,  233. 

Drexel,  Mrs.  Francis  Martin, 
miniature  of,  233. 

Drinker,  Elizabeth,  diary  of,  82, 
113,  130,  131  ;  marriage  of 
daughters,  88,  91  ;  on  French 
minister's  ball,  120,  126  ;  on  por 
traits,  210,  211. 

Drinker,  Henry  S.,  72,  113  ;  op 
posed  to  portraits,  210,  211. 

Drinker,  Molly,  elopes,  88. 

Drinker,  Sally  (Mrs.  Jacob 
Downing),  91. 

Duch£,  Rev.  Jacob,  83. 

Duer,  Colonel  William,  64,  66. 

Duer,  Lady  Catherine,  at  Mrs. 
Washington's  drawing-room, 
53 ;  entertainments  of,  63,  65, 
66  ;  marriage  of,  64. 


Dulles,  Joseph,  228. 

Dulles,  Mary,  228. 

Dumas,  Guillaume  Matthieu,  129. 

130. 

Dundas,  James,  247,  263. 
Dundas,  Mrs.  James,  247. 
Du  Ponceau,  Peter,  166,  247,  248. 
Du  Pont,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles 

IrenSe,  portrait  of,  227. 
Du  Pont,  Victor,  227. 


Ellicott,  Andrew,  succeeds  L'En- 

fant,  177. 

Ellsworth,  Oliver,  42,  103. 
Emlen,  George,  85,  89,  143. 
Emlen,  Nancy,  87. 
Emlen,  Sally,  91. 
Eppes,  John,  156. 
Eppes,  Mrs.  John,  191. 
Erskine,  David  Montague  (Lord 

Erskine),    marriage,    153,     199  ; 

British  Minister,   193,  195,  196 ; 

family  of,  197, 198. 
Erskine,    Jane   (Mrs.  J.    H.   Cal- 

lander),  198. 
Erskine,    Lady,     marriage,     153, 

199 ;    returns    to  America,   195, 

196  ;  daughters  of,  197-199. 
Erskine,   Mary  (Baroness  Taut- 

phceus),  198. 

Evans,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  22,  24. 
Eve,  Captain  Oswald,  31. 
Eve,  Sarah,  31  ;  diary  of,  32,  33; 

engaged  to  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush, 

33,  34- 

Eve,  Sarah  (Mrs.  Adams),  33. 
Eyre,  Manuel,  72. 


Fauchet.M.  Jean  Antoine  Joseph, 

65- 

Feke,  Robert,  30,  211. 

Ferguson,  Elizabeth,  literary 
circle  of,  13,  14,  20,  24,  30,  I2Z  ; 
literary  work,  15,  16,  22  ;  book 
plate,  17  ;  visits  Great  Britain, 
17,  18,  19;  diary,  18,  31;  mar- 


276 


INDEX 


riage,  21  ;  political  complica 
tions,  22,  23  ;  last  years,  24. 

Ferguson,  Henry  Hugh,  21,  22. 

Field,  Robert,  artist,  231. 

Fisher,  Dr.  Henry  M.,  141. 

Fisher,  Joshua  Francis,  15. 

Fisher,  Miers,  82,  83,  85. 

Fisher,  Mrs.  Miers,  85. 

Fitzsimons,  Thomas,  47, 68,  136. 

Fleury,  Major,  164. 

Fothergill,  Dr.  John,  17,  18. 

Francis,  Mrs.  Willing,  232. 

Francis,  Tench,  25,  27,  99, 117,  213. 

Franklin,  Dr.  Benjamin,  ingen 
ious  friends,  24  ;  founds  College 
of  Philadelphia,  26  ;  various 
talents  of,  28,  29,  132  ;  at 
Stenton,  166. 

Franklin,  Walter,  New  York 
house  of,  47,  48. 

Franks,  Abigail,  105. 

Franks,  Colonel  Isaac,  116. 

Franks,  Rebecca,  118,  119. 

Fraser,  Charles,  artist,  234. 

Furness,  Dr.  Horace  Howard, 
230. 

Furness,  Dr.  William  H.,  250. 


Gallatin,  Albert,  193,  206. 

Galloway,  Jane  (Mrs.  Joseph 
Shippen),  29. 

Genet,  Edmond  Charles,  French 
Minister,  65,  114,  165. 

Germantown,  Washington's  resi 
dence  in,  114-117  ;  refuge  during 
yellow-fever,  114-117,  167,  168. 

Gerry,  Elbridge,  45. 

Gilpin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  D., 
264. 

Gilpin,  Thomas,  82. 

Girard,  Stephen,  house  of,  72, 
244  ;  care  of  yellow-fever  pa 
tients,  170,  171. 

Gliddon,  George  R.,  254,  258. 

Godfrey,  Thomas,  poet,  32,  79. 

Goodrich,  Chauncey,  62,  103. 


Goodrich,  Mrs.  Chauncey  (Ma 
rianne  Wolcott),  61,  62. 

Gouverneur,  Mrs.  Samuel  L. 
(Maria  Monroe),  207. 

Graeme,  Dr.  Thomas  (father  of 
Mrs.  Ferguson),  14,  17,  20. 

Graeme,  Elizabeth  (see  Elizabeth 
Ferguson),  13. 

Graeme,  Mrs.  Thomas,  14,  15,  18, 
19. 

Graeme  Park,  13,  14. 

Gray's  Gardens,  107, 108. 

Green,  Rev.  Ashbel,  78,  109. 

Greene,  Mrs.  Nathaniel,  56,  57. 

Greene,  Nathaniel,  Quartermas 
ter-General,  57,  58,  99. 

Greenleaf,  James,  176. 

Griffin,  Lady  Christiana,  64. 

Griffitts,  Dr.  Samuel  P.,  170. 

Griswold,  Rufus  W.,  48,  103. 

Guest,  Betsy,  32. 


H 

Habersham,  Colonel  Joseph,  59. 

Hale,  Mrs.  Sarah  Josepha,  265. 

Hall,  Charles,  miniatures  of,  213, 
214. 

Hall,  Susan,  123. 

Hallett,  Stephen  L.,  architect  of 
the  Capitol,  178. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury,  35,  43,  44 ;  ad 
vice  on  etiquette,  35-37,  39  ;  New 
York  residence,  49 ;  favorite  of 
Washington,  54  ;  resigns  from 
Treasury,  63  ;  in  Philadelphia, 
76, 103,  114,  116,  149,  155,  159. 

Hamilton,  Andrew,  105. 

Hamilton,  Ann  (Mrs.  James 
Lyle),  105. 

Hamilton,   Governor  James,   17, 

25. 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  Alexander,  draw 
ing-room  of,  53,  54. 

Hamilton,  William,  142,  167,  212. 

Headley,  J.  T.,  198. 

Heatley,  Sophia,  228. 


277 


INDEX 


Helm,    Peter,  aids    yellow-fever 

patients,  170,  171. 
Henri,  Pierre,  artist,  211. 
Henry,  Judge  "William,  17. 
Hesselius,  Gustavus,  an,  277. 
Hesselius,  John,  211. 
Hiltzheimer,  Jacob,  120. 
Hoban,  James,  178. 
Hopkinson,    Francis,    poet     and 

satirist,  14,  24  ;  wit  of,  102,  103, 

249. 
Hopkinson,     Joseph,     author    of 

"  Hail  Columbia,"  103,  149. 
Hopkinson,  Mrs.  Joseph,  149,  245. 
Hopkinson,  Mrs.  Oliver,  263. 
Hopkinson,  Mrs.  Thomas,  29,  30. 
Hopkinson,  Thomas,  212. 
Howard,  General  John  E.,  99, 174, 

225. 

Howard,  Mrs.  John  E.,  225. 
Howe,  General   Sir  William,  23, 

85,  95- 

Howell,  Sydney,  93. 
Humphreys,  Colonel  David,  79. 
Huntington,  Benjamin,  43. 
Huntington,    Daniel,    paints  Re 
publican  Court,   40,   43,   52,  58, 

59- 

Hutchinson,  Dr.  James,  mar 
riage,  93  ;  attends  yellow-fever 
patients,  113,  114;  death,  170. 

I 

Ingersoll,  Charles  J.,  244. 
Ingersoll,  Hon.  Jared,  75,  79. 
Inglis,  John,  26. 
Inglis,  Samuel,  136. 
Inman,  Henry,  211. 
Iredell,  Judge  James,  43,  76. 
Irving,  Washington,  164,  192,254. 
Iturbide,     Josephine,    friend     of 

Mrs.  Rush,  252. 
Izard,  Mrs.  Ralph,  53. 
Izard,  Ralph,  133. 


Jackson,  Francis  James,  British 
Minister,  179,  197. 


Jackson,  Major  William,  40,  144, 
155- 

Jackson,  Mrs.  Simon,  160. 

Jackson,  Mrs.  William,  144,  155. 

James,  Phoebe  (Mrs.  Saunders 
Lewis),  259. 

Jarvis,  John  Wesley,  211. 

Jaudenes,  Don  Jose,  Spanish 
Minister,  223. 

Jaudon,  Samuel,  249. 

Jay,  John,  Chief  Justice,  35,  43; 
marriage,  146  ;  in  Philadelphia, 
149. 

Jay,  Mrs.  John,  at  Mrs.  Washing 
ton's  receptions,  53  ;  drawing- 
room  of,  63  ;  attractions  of,  63, 
64,  149. 

Jefferson,  Maria  (Mrs.  John 
Eppes),  59,  108,  156. 

Jefferson,  Martha  (Mrs.  T.  M. 
Randolph),  58. 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  opinion  on 
etiquette,  37,  38  ;  salary  of,  41  ; 
Secretary  of  State,  43,  49  ;  ap 
pearance  of,  44,  188  ;  New  York 
residence,  48  ;  family  of,  58,  59  ; 
Philadelphia  residence,  108 ; 
Philadelphia  friends,  109,  149; 
opinion  of  Rittenhouse,  no, 
in  ;  account  of  yellow-fever, 
113;  in  Germantown,  115,  116 ; 
letter  to  Mrs.  Bingham,  147, 
148  ;  at  Stenton,  162,  164,  165  ; 
interest  in  Federal  City,  172, 
I73»  X77 »  criticized  by  Mrs. 
Adams,  183  ;  elected  President 
of  the  United  States,  185,  187  ; 
cabinet  of,  193,  194  ;  informality 
of  administration,  188-191,  202. 

Jenifer,  Daniel,  163. 

Johnson,  Governor  Nathaniel,  of 
Carolina,  229,  230. 

Juliana  Library,  of  Lancaster, 
17,  I8.J 


Keith,  Charles  P.,  84. 
Keith,  Sir  William,  14. 


278 


INDEX 


Kemble,  Frances  Anne  (Mrs. 
Pierce  Butler),  152,  227,  250,261  ; 
charming  story  of,  248. 

Key,  Francis  Scott,  and  "  Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  187. 

King,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rufus,  44,  45. 

King,  William,  Governor  of 
Maine,  45. 

Knox,  General  Henry,  appear 
ance  of,  44  ;  Secretary  of  War, 
45,  49 ;  in  New  York,  56 ;  in 
Philadelphia,  114,  155  ;  in  Ger- 
mantown,  117,  225. 

Knox,  Mrs.  Henry,  56,  57,  104. 

Kosciusko,  Thaddeus,  at  Stenton, 
1 66. 


Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  in  Amer 
ica,  loo.  130,  133 ;  at  Du  Pont 
wedding,  227. 

Lafayette,  Marquise  de,  63. 

Langdon,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  John, 
127. 

Lansdowne,  Marquess  of,  friend 
of  the  Binghams,  138  ;  portrait 
of  Washington  painted  for,  139, 
140,  223  ;  estimate  of  Washing 
ton,  140. 

Lansdowne,  owned  by  John 
Penn,  120;  by  Binghams,  138, 
141. 

Law,  Mrs.  Thomas,  marriage, 
174,  201  ;  portrait  by  Stuart,  201, 
225. 

Law,  Thomas,  builds  in  Wash 
ington,  174,  175 ;  marries  Miss 
Custis,  201  ;  characteristics,  202. 

Lear,  Tobias,  private  secretary 
to  Washington,  40,  96,  114. 

Lee,  Arthur,  133. 

Lee,  General  Henry,  225. 

Leeds,  Duchess  of  (Miss  Caton), 
60. 

Leidy,  Dr.  Joseph,  257,  258. 

L'Enfant,  Pierre  Charles,  plan 
for  Washington  City,  172,  176- 
178  ;  beauty  of  design,  177,  179. 


Leslie,  Eliza,  authoress,  265. 

Lewis,  Mrs.  Lawrence,  156,  182, 
201,  225. 

Lewis,  "William  D.,  247. 

Liancourt,  78  (see  Due  de  la 
Rochefoucauld). 

Lincoln,  General  Benjamin,  124, 
155. 

Lippincott,  Mrs.  Joshua,  263. 

Liston,  Lady,  154,  197,  225. 

Liston,  Sir  Robert,  British  Min 
ister,  154,  197,  225. 

Livingston,  Eugene,  264. 

Livingston,  Henry  Beekman,  133. 

Livingston,  Hon.  and  Mrs.  Ed 
ward,  261. 

Livingston,  Governor  William, 
63. 

Livingston,  Mrs.  Robert  R.,  53, 
99. 

Livingston,  Mrs.  "Walter,  53. 

Livingston,  Robert  R.,  Chan 
cellor,  43. 

Lloyd,  Colonel  Edward  III.,  of 
Maryland,  186. 

Lloyd,     Governor     Thomas,    27, 

153- 

Lloyd,  Hannah,  89. 

Lloyd,  Rebecca  (Mrs.  Joseph  H. 
Nicholson),  186. 

Logan,  Dr.  George,  visited  by 
Washington,  84,  162,  163  ;  friend 
of  Jefferson,  164,  165;  guests  at 
Stenton,  165-167. 

Logan,  Hannah,  88. 

Logan,  James,  secretary  to  Will 
iam  Penn,  25-27,  88 ;  builds 
Stenton,  162. 

Logan,  Mrs.  George,  admires 
"Washington,  82,  162, 163  ;  social 
charm,  163-165  ;  guests  at  Sten 
ton,  165-168. 

Ludlow,  Mrs.  Israel,  107. 

Luzerne,  Chevalier  de  la,  French 
Minister  to  United  States,  120, 
JS0!  134>  *53  5  gives  ball  on  birth 
of  Dauphin,  121-127. 

Lyle,  James,  79,  105. 


279 


INDEX 


Lyle,  Mrs.  James  (Ann  Hamil 
ton),  105,  141,  181. 

M 

Maclay,  William,  criticizes  eti 
quette  in  New  York,  37-39  ;  on 
salaries,  41  ;  admires  Washing 
ton,  42  ;  caustic  remarks,  43,  47, 
188  ;  on  moving  capital,  68-70. 

Macomb,  Alexander,  49,  52. 

Macomb,  Mrs.  Alexander,  199. 

Madison,  James,  in  Philadelphia, 
149  ;  interested  in  Federal  City, 
X73i  *74 »  Secretary  of  State,  191, 
193  ;  President  of  United  States, 
203  ;  criticized  in  War  of  1812, 
204,  206. 

Madison,  Mrs.  James,  in  Phila 
delphia,  107,  149;  in  Washing 
ton,  190,  199  ;  attractions  of, 
191  ;  drawing-room,  192,  193, 
203,  204,  206,  207  ;  courage  dur 
ing  'War  of  1812,  205  ;  last  days, 
208,  209. 

Makin,  Thomas,  28. 

Malbone,  Edward  Greene,  in 
Philadelphia,  211,  213,  228  ;  min 
iatures  by,  230,  234. 

Mansion  House,  144. 

Marbois,  Barb6,  charged"1  affaires, 
75,  134 ;  marries  Miss  Moore, 

153- 
Markoe,  Peter,  satires  of,  137, 143, 

M4- 

Marshall,  Chief  Justice,  97,  193, 
206. 

Marshall,  Humphrey,  164. 

Marshall,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James, 
97- 

Martineau,  Harriet,  in  Philadel 
phia,  250. 

Mason,  James  M.,  208,  262. 

Mason,  Mrs.  James  M.  (Miss 
Eliza  Chew),  207,  208,  262. 

Masters,  Polly  (Mrs.  Richard 
Penn),  95. 

McCall,  Archibald,  76. 

McClenachan,  Blair,  117. 


McHenry,  James,  Secretary  of 
War,  76. 

McKean,  Governor  Thomas,  76, 
103,  154,  194. 

McKean,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
Pratt,  256,  257. 

McKean,  Sally,  103  (see  Mar 
chioness  Yrujo). 

McTavish,  British  Consul,  60. 

Meade,  General  George  G.,  246. 

Meade,  George,  136. 

Meade,  Mrs.  Richard  Worsam, 
227. 

Mercer,  General  Hugh,  215. 

Meredith,  Margaret,  196. 

Meredith,  Mrs.  Samuel,  98,  132. 

Meredith,  Reese,  97. 

Meredith,  Samuel,  Treasurer  of 
the  United  States,  46,  97,  98  ; 
entertains  Chastellux,  132; 
financial  aid  during  Revolu 
tion,  136,  137. 

Merry,  Anthony,  British  Minis 
ter  in  Washington,  190,  191. 

Merry,  Mrs.  Anthony,  xgx. 

Mifflin,  Governor  Thomas,  75, 
"5. 

Miles,  Edward,  211. 

Mitchell,  Dr.  S.  Weir,  13. 

Monges,  Cora  (Mrs.  Charles 
Dutilh),  245. 

Monges,  Dr.,  244. 

Monroe,  James,  in  Germantown, 
1x5,  116  ;  American  Minister  in 
London,  191,  193;  President  of 
the  United  States,  207. 

Monroe,  Mrs.  James,  in  Wash 
ington,  199,  207. 

Montgomery,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
C.,  miniatures  of,  232. 

Montgomery,  Mrs.  Richard,  57, 
58. 

Montpensier,  Due  de,  in  Phila 
delphia,  158. 

Moore,  Elizabeth,  marries  Barbrf- 
Marbois,  153. 

Moreau,  General  John  Victor,  in 
Philadelphia,  160. 


280 


INDEX 


Moreau,  Madame,  in  Philadel 
phia,  160,  161. 

Morgan,  Colonel  George,  132. 

Morris,  Cadwalader,  136. 

Morris,  Elliston  Perot,  116. 

Morris,  Gouverneur,  136,  179. 

Morris,  Hetty  (Mrs.  James  Mar 
shall),  portrait,  97. 

Morris,  Lewis,  of  Morrisania, 
N.  Y.,  260. 

Morris,  Maria  (Mrs.  Henry 
Nixon),  portrait,  97. 

Morris,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  W., 
Mr.  Drexel's  portraits  of,  232. 

Morris,  Mrs.  Robert,  in  New 
York,  52  ;  friend  of  Mrs.  Wash 
ington,  96  ;  social  leader,  130  ; 
at  Miss  Willing's  wedding,  155. 

Morris,  Robert,  financier  of  Re 
volution,  43,  130,  135,  136 ;  on 
choice  of  capital,  67-69  ;  great 
merchant,  72, 136  ;  receives  por 
traits  of  French  king  and 
queen,  75;  in  Philadelphia,  79, 
124 ;  houses  of,  95,  96,  131  ; 
friend  of  Washington,  96  ;  in 
vests  in  Washington  lots,  176. 

Morris,  Samuel,  Captain  of  City 
Troop,  116. 

Mott,  Dr.  Valentine,  264. 

Murray,  Charles  Augustus,  264. 

Murray,  Mrs.  Charles  Augustus 
(Elizabeth  Wadsworth),  por 
trait,  263,  264  ;  marriage,  264. 

N 

Nagle,  John,  140. 

Napoleon,  Louis,  marries  Char, 
lotte  Bonaparte,  245. 

Nemours,  Dupont  de,  at  Stenton, 
1 66. 

New  York,  the  seat  of  govern 
ment,  35-48;  social  life  in,  48- 
66 ;  removal  of  government 
from,  66-69. 

Nicholson,  John,  176. 

Nicholson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph, 
185-187. 


Nicklin,  Mrs.  Philip,  161,  162, 
225. 

Noailles,  Vicomte  de,  in  Philadel 
phia,  129,  133,  149,  152,  155,  158, 
225;  founds  "Asylum,"  146; 
described,  159. 

Norris  Deborah  (Mrs.  Geo.  Lo 
gan),  163,  164. 

Norris,  Mary  Parker,  163. 

Nuttall,  Thomas,  167. 


Orleans,  Duke  of,  in  Philadel 
phia,  155,  158,  225  ;  addresses 
Miss  Willing,  155-156. 

Osgood,  Mrs.  Samuel,  New  York 
residence  of,  47,  49. 

Osgood,  Samuel,  47,  49,  65,  136. 

Otis,  James,  Secretary  of  State, 
75- 

Otis,  Mrs.  James,  105. 

Otto,  Louis  Guillaume,  134. 


Palmer,    Mr.  and  Mrs.  William, 

Si- 

Parkers,  at  Perot  wedding,  91, 
92. 

Patterson,  Mrs.  Robert,  60. 

Payne,  Lucy  (Mrs.  Washington), 
191,  192. 

Peale,  Angelica  (Mrs.  Alexander 
Robinson),  214. 

Peale,  Charles  Willson,  portraits 
of,  59,  234 ;  museum  of,  80 ;  in 
Philadelphia,  211-213;  minia 
tures,  214. 

Peale,  James,  miniatures  of,  an, 
213. 

Peale,  Rembrandt,  plan  for 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  212. 

Pemberton,  James,  85,  88,  89. 

Pendleton,  Henry,  Chief-Justice 
of  Carolina,  130. 

Penn,  Hon.  Thomas,  17,  18. 

Penn,  Gov.  John,  arrives  in 
Pennsylvania,  32,  83  ;  coach  of, 
85 ;  marriage,  94,  120 ;  appear- 


281 


INDEX 


ance,    95 ;    owns    Lansdowne, 

•48- 
Penn,     Lady     Juliana,    endows 

library  in  Lancaster,  17,  18. 
Penn,  Richard,  95. 
Penn,  William,  proprietary,  25. 
Perot,  Elliston,  residence  of,  73  ; 

wedding,  89-93. 
Perot,  John,  73. 
Peter,  Mrs.  Thomas,  174,  201. 
Peter,  Thomas,  174. 
Peters,   Judge    Richard,  country 

seat,  99  ;  friend  of  Washington, 

116 ;   wit  and  humor,   101,    149, 

249;  in  England,  102. 
Peters,      Mrs.     Richard      (Sally 

Robinson),  102. 
Peters,   Mr.   and    Mrs.   Richard, 

Jr.,  156. 
Peters,   Rev.    Richard,   rector  of 

Christ  Church  and  St.  Peter's, 

Philadelphia,  16,  17,  25,  27. 
Pettit,  Charles,  99. 
Philips,    Mr.    and    Mrs.    Henry, 

portraits  of,  225. 
Philadelphia,  social  and  religious 

characteristics,  25-26,  29,  30,  81  ; 

intellectual  life,  26-28,  109-113  ; 

leading  merchants,  71-73  ;  seat 

of  government,  70,  74-77,  96-99  ; 

theatres      in,      78-81,      150-152  ; 

Quaker  life,   84-95  i    social  life, 

101-108,  118-127,  129-135,  140-146, 

153-163,  235-271;  yellow-fever  in, 

1x3-117,    168-171  ;    an    early   art 

centre,  210-228,  231-233. 
Philosophical    Society,    109,   112, 

167. 

Physick,  Philip  Syng,  M.D.,  170. 
Pickering,  Timothy,  75. 
Pinckney,  Charles  C.,  46. 
Pleasants,  Dr.  Samuel,  170. 
Plumsted,  Mrs.  William,  29. 
Powel,  Mrs.  Samuel,  134,  135,  181. 
Powel,  Samuel,  95,  99,  134. 
Poyntell,  William,  212. 
Pratt,  Henry,  portrait  by  Stuart, 

73. 


Pratt,  Matthew,  artist,  72,  211. 
Preble,  George  Henry,  no. 
Priestley,  Dr.  Joseph,  112. 
Prime,  Rufus,  51. 


Randolph,  Edmund,  Attorney- 
General,  43. 

Randolph,  John  of  Roanoke,  166. 

Randolph,  Mrs.  Thomas  Mann, 
108,  191. 

Rawle,  Mrs.  William,  157. 

Rawle,  William,  zi6. 

Redman,  Dr.  John,  79,  169,  170. 

Reed,  General  Joseph,  23,  125. 

Reed,  Mrs.  Joseph,  131. 

Reynolds,  Sir  Joshua,  216,  317, 
218. 

Rhett,  Colonel  William,  229,  230. 

Rhoads,  Samuel,  88. 

Ridgely,  Ann  (Mrs.  C.  I.  du  Pont), 
227. 

Ridgely,  Henry  M.,  227. 

Rldgway,  Jacob,  72,  236,  271. 

Ridgway,  John  Jacob,  237,  259. 

Ridgway  Library,  271. 

Ridgway,  Phoebe  Ann  (see  Mrs. 
James  Rush). 

Ridgway,  Susan,  portrait  of 
(Mrs.  Rhea  Barton),  237. 

Rittenhouse,  David,  first  Ameri 
can  astronomer,  no,  210,  251  ; 
14  Orrery  of,"  in  ;  draws  Mason 
and  Dixon's  line,  112. 

Roberts,  George,  describes  John 
Penn,  95. 

Robinson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mon- 
cure,  247. 

Robinson,  Mrs.  Alexander,  min 
iatures  of,  214. 

Rochambeau,    Marquis    of,    100, 

"5- 

Rochefoucauld  -  Liancourt,  de 
scribes  social  life  in  America, 
77i  78,  94;  in  Philadelphia,  117, 
149,  158. 

Roosevelt,  Isaac,  48. 

Ross,  John,  20,  136. 


282 


INDEX 


Rotch,  Mrs.  Thomas  (Susan 
Ridgway),  251. 

Rumsey,  Colonel  Charles,  199. 

Rush,  Dr.  Benjamin,  eminent 
physician  and  writer,  15,  20,  24, 
75,  109,  199 ;  describes  Miss 
Graeme's  life  abroad,  17-19; 
writes  of  her  salon,  20-22,  30 ; 
engaged  to  Sarah  Eve,  32-34 ; 
marries  Miss  Stockton,  34  ;  de 
scribes  ball  on  Dauphin's  birth 
day,  121-127  ;  treatment  of  yel 
low-fever,  168,  170;  sons  of,  238. 

Rush,  Betsy,  32. 

Rush,  Dr.  James,  parentage,  238  ; 
character  and  attainments,  238, 

239,  255  »      Philadelphia     resi 
dences,     243,    255-257 ;    records 
dates    of   entertainments,    245, 
246 ;    friends    of,   248,   257,   262  ; 
travels  abroad,   254,  259  ;    later 
years,  271. 

Rush,  Hon.  Richard,  238. 
Rush,  Mrs.  Benjamin,  34,  123. 
Rush,  Mrs.  James,  salon  of,  235, 

240,  271  ;    character  and  tastes, 

236,  238-240,  250-254;  early  years, 

237,  238  ;    criticised,    238,    252  ; 
studies,    239-241,    243;    appear 
ance,   241,  251,  259 ;    entertain 
ments,  245,  246,  259-261,  266-268  ; 
Philadelphia     residences,    247, 
249,  255,  256 ;    friends,  248,  257, 
263,   264 ;    strangers  introduced 
to,    249-250  ;    position    abroad, 
254,  255  ;    new  home  on  Chest 
nut  Street,   256,  257 ;    pleasant 
traits,  262  ;    rules  for  entertain 
ing,  265,  266 ;    affair  of  the  dia 
monds,    268-270;      death,    271; 
founds  Ridgway  Library,  271. 

Rush,  'William,  sculptor,  212. 


Saint  Memin,  Charles  B.  J.  F., 

artist,  33. 
Salon,    the  first  in   America,  13, 

14,  19-22,  24,  30  ;    in  New  York, 


40,  46,  47,  52-58,  63  ;  in  Philadel 
phia,  103,  108,  119,  120,  132-135, 
146,  149,  150,  163-167,  235-271  ;  in 
"Washington,  183-185,  188,  189, 
191-193,  202-204,  208,  209. 

Sansom,  Miss  (Mrs.  Elliston 
Perot),wedding  described, 89-93. 

Sansom,  Joseph,  spills  wine  at 
wedding,  90. 

Sartain,  John,  artist,  211. 

Savery,  William,  89. 

Schuyler,  Betsy  (Mrs,  A.  Hamil 
ton),  53. 

Schuyler,  Catherine,  55,  56. 

Schuyler,  General  Philip,  Sena 
tor  from  New  York,  45  ;  attack 
on  house,  55  ;  on  site  for  capi 
tal,  67. 

Schuyler,  Margaret,  heroism  of, 

55- 
Schuyler,  Mrs.  Philip,patriotism, 

23  ;  courage,  54-56. 
Schweinitz,  Rev.  Louis  de,  167. 
Scott,  General  Winfield,  206. 
Seaton,  Mrs.    William,  199;    de 
scribes  society  in  Washington, 

203,  204,  207. 

Sedgwick,  Theodore,  49. 
Sergeant,  Hon.  John,  215,  248. 
Sergeant,    Jonathan    Dickinson, 

213,  214. 

Sergeant,  Mrs.  John,  248. 
Sergeant,    Margaret  (Mrs.    Geo. 

G.  Meade),  246. 
Sergeant,      Mrs.      Jonathan      D. 

(Margaret  Spencer),  miniature 

of,  214  ;  in  Princeton,  215. 
Sergeant,  William,  miniature  of, 

213. 

Sharpies,  James,  83. 
Shippen,     Anne      Hume     (Mrs. 

Henry  B.  Livingston),  99. 
Shippen,  Dr.  "William,  99,  133. 
Shippen,  Dr.  William,  the  elder, 

25- 

Shippen,  Edward,  17. 
Shippen,  Elizabeth,  145. 
Shippen,  Joseph,  212. 


283 


INDEX 


Shippen,  Margaret  (Mrs.  Bene 
dict  Arnold),  119. 

Shippen,  Mrs.  Joseph,  29,  30. 

Shippen,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas, 
115- 

Shippen,  Sarah,  119,  236. 

Shoemaker,  Mrs.  Samuel,  on 
Philadelphia  during  Revolu 
tion,  119,  120. 

Shoemaker,  Samuel,  loyalist,  83, 
119. 

Smith,  General  S.,  of  Maryland, 
220. 

Smith,  John,  marries  Hannah 
Logan,  88,  89. 

Smith,  Rev.  William,  provost  of 
College  of  Philadelphia,  109, 127. 

Smith,  Mrs.  William  S.,  45,  56. 

Smith,  William,  writes  ode  to 
Dauphin,  127. 

Smith,  William  S.,  45. 

Sowle,  Andrew,  29. 

Spencer,  Rev.  Elihu,  214,  215. 

Sterling,  Earl  of,  William  Alex 
ander,  66. 

Sterne,  Laurence,  English  au 
thor,  19. 

Stevens,  John,  of  Hoboken,  220. 

Steuben,  Baron,  164,  166. 

Stewart,  General  "Walter,  79,117. 

Stockton,  Julia  (Mrs.  Benjamin 
Rush),  34. 

Stockton,  Mrs.  Richard,  13,  23. 

Stockton,  Richard,  244. 

Stockton,  Susannah  (Mrs.  Lewis 
Pintard),  123. 

Strettell,  Robert,  26. 

Stuart,  Gilbert,  portraits  by,  97, 
201,  213,  234;  in  Philadelphia, 
211,  221  ;  Washington  portraits, 
140,  221-226  ;  in  Germantown, 
224-226. 

Stuart,  Jane,  225. 

Sully,  Thomas,  in  Philadelphia, 
211,226;  portraits  by,  227,  234, 
264. 

Survilliers,  Comte  de,  243  (see 
Joseph  Bonaparte). 


Talleyrand,  Perigord,  149,  158. 
Tautphceus,  Baroness,  author  of 

"  Initials,"  198. 
Tayloe,     Colonel     John,    builds 

Octagon  House,  206. 
Temple,  Augusta  (Mrs.  William 

Palmer),  50-52. 
Temple,  Grenville,  51,  52. 
Temple,  Lady,  in  New  York,  49, 

64 ;    appearance,    49,    50  ;    por 
traits  of,  51,  52  ;  in  Boston,  129. 
Temple,  Sir    John,  British   Con. 

sul,  New  York  residence  of,  49  ; 

inherits  title,   51  ;     portrait  of, 

52. 
Temple,   Sir  Thomas,    Governor 

of  Nova  Scotia,  51. 
Temple,  Rev.  Thomas,  51. 
Ternant,  Chevalier  de,  164. 
Thomson,  Charles,  27,  no. 
Thornton,    Dr.    William,    draws 

plan  for  Capitol,  177,  178. 
Tiffany,  George,  254. 
Tilghman, Chief-Justice  William, 

I2Z. 

Tilghman,  Edward,  79,  116. 

Tilly,  Count  de,  152,  153. 

Tilly,  Countess  de  (Maria  Bing- 

ham),  153. 

Todd,  Charles  Burr,  178. 
Tracy,    John,    of    Newburyport, 

128, 
Trott,    Benjamin   F.,   artist,  211, 

*34- 

Trumbull,  John,  artist,  52. 
Trumbull,  Jonathan,  49. 
Turner,  Joseph,  26. 
Twining,  Thomas,  describes  life 

in  Philadelphia,  77,  96,  112,  152, 

153  ;    in  Washington,  174,  175  ; 

miniature  of,  231. 


University      of      Pennsylvania, 
founding  of,  26,  27. 


284 


INDEX 


Van  Braam,  owns  "  China  Hall," 

321. 

Van  Buren,  President,  at  Mrs. 
Rush's,  250. 

Van  Dyke,  Dorcas  M.,  wedding 
of,  227. 

Van  Dyke,  Senator  from  Dela 
ware,  227. 

Van  Ness,  Ann  Elbertina,  207. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Euphemia,  264. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Jeremiah,  47. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Stephen,  55. 

Vaudreuil,  Marquis  de,  128,  129. 

Vaughan,  John,  109,  166. 

Vaux,  Richard,  89. 

Volney,  Constantin  Francois,  149, 
152,  154,  158. 

W 

Wadsworth,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  C. 
A.  Murray),  263. 

Wadsworth,  General  James  S., 
263. 

Wadsworth,  Jeremiah,  49. 

Wadsworth,  Mrs.  James  S. 
(Mary  Wharton),  portrait  of, 
259,  260,  263. 

Walker,  Lewis  Burd,  145. 

Wallace,  Mrs.  John  Bradford, 
161,  168. 

Wallace,  Mrs.  John  William,  261. 

Walsh,  Hon.  Robert,  254. 

Wansey,  Henry,  diary  of,  40,  77, 
78,  79,  145. 

Warder,  John,  86. 

Warder,  Mrs.  John,  diary  of,  77, 
143  ;  describes  Philadelphia 
Quakers,  85-87  ;  describes  wed 
ding  of  Elliston  Perot,  89-92; 
remarks  on  marriage,  93,  94. 

Warren,  Mrs.  James,  13,  23. 

Warville,  Brissot  de,  describes 
the  Hamiltons,  53,  54  ;  on  Phila 
delphia  life,  77,  85. 

Washington  City,  laying  out  of 
streets,  172-179  ;  described  by 


visitors,  179-185  ;  social  and  of 
ficial  life  in,  187-209. 

Washington,  George,  President 
of  United  States,  35,  42,  61,  197, 
209  ;  etiquette  of  administra 
tion,  35-40;  salary,  41  ;  cabinet, 
43-45 »  New  York  residences, 
48-49,  52,  53  ;  social  life  in  New 
York,  54,  57,  65  ;  in  New  Jersey, 
64;  in  Philadelphia,  73,  74,81, 
83  ;  attends  theatre  and  circus, 
79,  80,  105  ;  visits  Stenton,  84, 
162,  163  ;  Philadelphia  resi 
dence,  95,  96  ;  Philadelphia 
friends,  97-101,  146,  155  ;  birth- 
night  balls,  106-108,  157;  letter 
on  seal  of  United  States,  no  ; 
in  Germantown,  114-117,  224, 
225  ;  celebrates  birth  of  Dau 
phin,  120,  122,  124  ;  portraits  of, 
140,  231  ;  visited  by  French 
princes,  158 ;  selects  site  for 
capital,  173  ;  interest  in  plans 
for  Capitol,  176,  178  ;  Stuart 
paints  portraits,  201,  205,  221, 
224-226 ;  Birch  makes  enamel 
portraits,  222,  223. 

"Washington,  Judge  Bushrod,  220. 

Washington,  Mrs.  Bushrod,  201. 

Washington,  Martha,  in  New 
York,  35,  39,  65,  85  ;  drawing- 
rooms  in  New  York,  40,  46,  47, 
56,  58 ;  grandchildren,  52,  97, 
174 ;  appearance,  52,  82,  234  ;  in 
Philadelphia,  59,  81,  104,  105, 
114,  irS,  223  ;  Philadelphia 
friends,  96,  97,  99, 155  ;  drawing- 
rooms  in  Philadelphia,  103,  106, 
108  ;  in  Germantown,  116,  225  ; 
hospitality  of,  182,  201  ;  por 
traits  by  Stuart,  226. 

Watson,  Colonel  George,  of  Bos 
ton,  51. 

Watson,  John,  early  American 
artist,  211. 

Watson,  John  F.,  annalist,  73, 143. 

Wayne,  General  Anthony,  46, 
102,  ioS,  nS. 


28S 


INDEX 


Webster,  Daniel,  Washington 
house  of,  209. 

Weld,  Isaac,  107. 

Wellesley,  Marchioness  of  (Miss 
Caton),  60. 

Wellesley,  Marquess  of,  60. 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  60,  250. 

Welsh,  John,  72. 

Wentworth,  Colonel,  of  Ports 
mouth,  127. 

West,  Benjamin,  American  por 
traits  by,  29,  2ii ;  in  England, 
218,  219. 

Wharton,  Charles,  73. 

Wharton,  Isaac,  72,  93. 

Wharton,  Mrs.  Isaac,  92,93. 

Wharton,  Thomas,  coach  of,  85. 

Wharton,  Thomas  F.,  portrait 
of,  242,  258. 

White  House,  building  of,  178. 

White,  William,  Bishop,  26,  78, 
109. 

Wignell,  Thomas,  150,  151. 

•Willing,  Abigail,  admired  by 
Louis  Philippe,  155,  156. 

Willing,  Anne,  135  (see  Mrs. 
William  Bingham). 

Willing,  Charles,  Mayor  of  Phil 
adelphia,  25,  29,  30,  135,  145. 

Willing,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Will 
iam  Jackson),  144,  155. 

Willing,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  John 
Jacob  Ridgway),  244,  259,  260. 

Willing,  James,  remarks  on 
Philadelphia  girls,  234. 

Willing,  Mrs.  Charles,  social 
leader,  29  ;  portrait  of,  30. 

Willing,  Thomas,  the  first,  30. 

Willing,  Thomas,  great  mer 
chant  and  financier,  72,  79,  146  ; 
in  favor  of  theatre,  79  ;  ad 
vanced  money  during  Revolu 
tion,  135  ;  President  of  Bank  of 
North  America,  137  ;  house  of, 


144 ;  reply  to  Louis  Philippe, 
156. 

Wilson,  James,  jurist  and  clas 
sical  scholar,  27,  75,  101, 116, 136. 

Wiltbank,  Mrs.  (Maria  Van  der 
Burgh),  261. 

Winthrop,  Mrs.  Thomas,  52. 

Wistar,  Dr.  Caspar,  75,  109 ; 
Wistaria  named  for,  167  ;  treat 
ment  of  yellow-fever,  168,  170. 

Wister,  Charles  J.,  167. 

Wister,  Sarah  Butler,  163. 

Wister,  William  Wynne,  224. 

Wolcott,  General  Oliver,  services 
of,  61  ;  letters  from  Philadel 
phia,  61,  62. 

Wolcott,  Marianne  (Mrs.  Chaun- 
cey  Goodrich),  62. 

Wolcott,  Mrs.  Oliver,  Jr.,  62, 149, 

179- 

Wolcott,  Oliver,  Jr.,  Secretary  of 
Treasury,  New  York  residence 
of,  42,  47  ;  succeeds  Hamilton, 
63  ;  in  Philadelphia,  76,  103, 149  ; 
in  "Washington,  179. 

Wood,  Thomas,  151,  197. 

Woolaston,  John,  artist,  aix. 

Worden,  Dana  Baillie,  describes 
Washington  society,  184. 

Wycombe,  Lord,  138,  139. 

Wynkoop,  Henry,  47,  68. 


Yarnall,  Mordecai,  89. 
Yellow-fever     in     Philadelphia, 

167-171. 
Yrujo,  Marchioness  de,  154,  195, 

226. 
Yrujo,  Marquis  de  Casa,  153,  193, 

194. 


Zenger,  John  Peter,  trial  of,  105. 
Zachery,  Dr.  Lloyd,  26. 


286 


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